


Dead Inside

by lizardhair



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Teen Titans (Animated Series), Teen Titans - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombies, Blood and Gore, Body Horror, Canon-Typical Ableism, Canon-Typical Violence, Edgy? Maybe so, Gen, Multi, Not Beta Read, Original Character(s), Other, Why Did I Write This?, everyone has a bad time, short chapters long story, why not honestly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-19
Updated: 2018-08-06
Packaged: 2018-09-25 16:41:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 14
Words: 37,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9830090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lizardhair/pseuds/lizardhair
Summary: The Teen Titans get knocked out and awaken to a world that has been devastated by unknown forces. It's a good thing help comes from unexpected places, because everyone needs a bit of assistance when they're trying to survive in a hellscape.





	1. The Beginning

"Every dead body that is not exterminated gets up and kills. The people it kills, get up and kill." – _Dawn of the Dead, 1978_

 

“Hey, Harry Houdini! I was here first!” So saying, the orange-haired man leapt out of the way as an oversized playing card zipped past him. His stubby legs didn’t get him very far, and he had to duck and cover as the card came at him once again.

“Sorry, my boy, but the cards don’t lie, and this one is telling me that _you_ can go find a different bank to burgle,” said the top-hatted man. He waggled his fingers, and where one card once was, there was now an entire deck hovering ten feet in the air. After a moment, the cards descended into the large group of bank-goers with a noise that sounded suspiciously like _nyoom._ This latest development escalated the yelps and cries of the already panicked crowd into a frenzy of high-pitched screams and a flurry of futile running.

Mumbo Jumbo took a deep bow and doffed his hat. “Oh, you’re _too_ kind! It’s such a simple trick, slight of hand really, but I wouldn’t mind a tip!” The bank tellers added their screams to the cacophony as thousands of dollars of crisp bills shot out of their stations. The money arced high into the air, formed a green tidal wave of wealth, and was sucked into Mumbo’s awaiting hat.

The magician laughed jovially and resettled his trademark upon his balding blue head.  His work done, he turned to go and found his way blocked by a fuming Control Freak. The shorter man’s face was an alarming shade of red, and he was pointing a glossy black remote at the rather more successful thief.

“Y-y- _you_ ,” he sputtered. In his rage, he actually began dancing a jig on the bank’s polished marble floor. “I, the, you, the _nerve_ of you, waltzing in here, just, I cannot _believe,_ cards could’ve given me the mother of all paper cuts, and _you --"_

A swearing bank patron shouldered past him while sprinting from the ace of spades, effectively cutting off his furious tirade as he toppled over. “Ow,” came Control Freak’s muffled response—he had landed face-first.

Mumbo Jumbo sighed and rolled his eyes, stepping over the prone form of the other villain. “That’s showbiz for ya, kiddo. It’s dog eat—!”

Something large and reeking of fish slammed into his back and sent the gangly man sprawling.

“Ha HA,” cried Control Freak, hauling himself to his feet and waving his remote. “Mumbo, meet one of the Mecha-Penguins, star of _March of the Mecha-Penguins III!_ The third movie doesn’t have the best plot, of course, but the Mecha-Penguins design and appetite for destruction are the best yet!”

Mumbo could scarcely hear the man over the crowd’s screams and the brash _honk_ ing of the B-movie bird. He rolled onto his back and beheld the metallic beast. The creature stood nearly 10 feet tall, seemed to be constructed out of plates of black and white stainless steel, and had beady red eyes. _Glowing_ beady red eyes.

“ _Uh-oh_ ,” squeaked Mumbo as the penguin emitted an enraged squawk and shot two crimson laser beams at the magician. The flightless fowl’s target crab-walked backward in an attempt to escape, while everyone else in the vicinity ran towards the exit.

“It’s locked,” bawled a woman as her compatriots pushed against the frosted glass of the double doors. As more and more people surged forward, some fell to the floor and were trampled. Suddenly, the solid oak doors burst apart, transforming into a cloud of iridescent butterflies.

Mumbo had found his feet—and his magic wand. Fresh air blew into the ravaged bank, carrying with it the sound of police sirens. Like lemmings, the bank-goers rushed blindly out of the building, leaving the villains, the giant hovering cards, and the homicidal penguin to themselves. It was, after all, much easier to fight whatever Control Freak could summon when there weren’t hundreds of hysterical pedestrians in the way.

“Sorry, C.F., but there’s only room for one tuxedoed baddie, and it’s _not_ going to be your penguin pal!” Mumbo flicked his wand at the bird, but before he could direct the cards towards the movie monster, green bolts of energy rained down from above and, in one fell swoop, incinerated the entire deck. “Hey!” Mumbo squawked, shaking a fist. “Those don’t come cheap, ya know!”

“Well ex _cuuuuuuuse_ me,” Control Freak said. “It’s not my fault you slowed us down long enough for You-Know-Who to get here. And, _no,_ I don’t mean Voldemort,” he said while pointing toward the source of Day-Glo green light.

The two villains looked up and beheld the latest assault on the bank’s infrastructure: a gaping hole in the roof, through which five teenagers were descending while bathed in golden morning sunlight.

“ _Titans, G—”_

“You’re just a _bit_ late there, Boy Blunder!”

“A _bit_? You old geezer, the Titans couldn’t be any later if…if they were dead!”

“Is your witty comeback reservoir running a bit low, my malodorous manfellow?”

“Aw _man,_ will both of you please shut _up?_ We literally _just_ sat down to breakfast when our dang alarm sounds, and we think, “Okay, bank robbery, that’s cool, that’s fine, we got that in the _bag."_ But _nooooo,_ we get here and instead of _just_ Mumbo or _just_ Control Freak, we have _both_ of ‘em, _and_ we have a _giant—freakin’—penguin!"_ Cyborg threw his hands in the air at his last declaration, then buried his face in them. “I’m sorry, I am just _really_ hungry.”

A small green sparrow alighted on Cyborg’s shoulder, fluttered off, and transformed into a teenage boy in midair. He had comically large bags under his squinted eyes and was swaying slightly. Beast Boy yawned, exposing sharp canines and releasing a blast of morning breath.

“Don’t worry ‘bout it, Cy. This won’t—” He yawned again. “This won’t take long.”

Beast Boy yelped as a swirling blast of green and black crashed into the altogether bemused Mecha-Penguin, sending circuitry and burnt steel flying.

“It would take even _less_ time if you would actually _attack_ , rather than blabbering on about it, you know,” Raven said.

“Oh, what a wondrous combined attack, friend Raven!” Starfire flew down and interrupted the two before harsh words could be said in lieu of good mornings. She casually tossed a starbolt in the direction of Mumbo and Control Freak, both of whom had been edging towards the exit. The two would-be bank robbers stopped in their tracks and offered the alien teen wide, cheesy grins.

Robin’s raspy voice came from behind the rest of his team. “Nice job ,Raven, Star.” He nodded to the girls; Raven nodded back, Starfire beamed.

Robin walked forwards to address the villains, crunching across rubble as he went. “We all know how this ends, you two. So are you going to save us all some time and come quietly, or are we going to have to—”

It was at this point that several things happened simultaneously. Mumbo whipped his wand out from behind his back, exclaimed, _"Mumbo Jumbo!"_ and sent a bright burst of pearly light shooting towards the Titans. Control Freak pushed a large red button on his remote and a wide, jagged beam of TV static raced side-by-side with the multicolored magic light. Raven did not have time to say her mantra, but her arcane abilities did not fail her. She flung out her hands and dark energy rushed forward to counter the opposing assault. There was a dazzling burst of light and a soft _whoom_ sound, akin to that of a glacier losing its battle with global warming and gravity and relinquishing part of itself to the ocean.

There was an eternity of silence as the light faded. Gradually, the world gathered its wits and allowed the sound of whining sirens and strident police officer’s voices back into the bank. Mumbo Jumbo and Control Freak blinked the stars out of their eyes and looked at each other. Then, they turned to look at where the Titans had been. There, the bank’s marble tiles had undergone a peculiar transformation. What once was white marble with veins of coal grey had become bright, unblemished gold in a circle perhaps nine feet in diameter.

Control Freak took a few steps back then fell onto his rear near the smoking carcass of the Mecha-Penguin. Mumbo, on the other hand, jerkily walked forwards until his shiny black dress shoes were only a foot away from the rim of the transmuted flooring. He looked down and, in a numb, shell-shocked tone, seemed to address the glimmering gold circle.

“Oh, _god_. Did we kill the Teen Titans?”

  
***

Starfire opened her bleary eyes and tried to take in her surroundings. Flat on her back, she could just make out the vaulted ceiling of the bank through the dusky shadows. _Shadows?_

Starfire sat bolt upright, craning her neck in order to keep her eyes fixed on the ceiling. The upper limit of the bank’s main room was indeed swathed in darkness, and now Starfire could discern another difference as well: the large hole that had served as the Titan’s entrance was conspicuously absent. Starfire tilted her head back down to take in the rest of the bank. Her eyes widened as they adjusted to the dim lighting and she whipped her head from side to side, trying to see everything at once.

The narrow rectangular windows were boarded up with rotting planks of wood. The spacious room had a musty, damp smell, and the creamy white walls had long tracks of black mold running down them. Everything had a thick coat of dust on it, from the neat granite counter that served as the bank tellers’ station to the plush armchairs near the door—a waiting area forever waiting to be used once again. Upon closer inspection, Starfire saw that the chairs had had their stuffing removed. Perhaps it had been burnt in one of the incongruous oil cans that dotted the room. Until now, she had only seen them used by the homeless people in Beast Boy’s movie collection, never in real life. Starfire felt a pang of sadness shoot through her when she thought of the ever-resilient citizens of Jump City holed up in a bank, burning stuffing to stay warm.

“Oh, my friends, what has happened here?”  Starfire whispered to the stirring forms of her teammates.

Beast Boy gurgled. “I…arg, _dude,_ my head feels like a martini.”

“Is that some kind of euphemism?”

“No, Rae, it’s a reference,” Beast Boy said. He sat up and waggled his eyebrows in Raven’s direction. “Y’know, James Bond? “Shaken, not stirred”? ‘Cause my head is all sh—”

“ _Yes,_ thank you, I understand,” Raven said. The sorceress huffed a breath of air out through her nose, trying to disguise her deeper agitation. _Damn it. Why does this keep_ happening _?_ She saw the three bolts of energy colliding and the flash of light, heard a sound like a great door slamming, sensed her friends’ distress… _Just when I think I have my abilities under control. Damn it to Hell!_

“Hey,” Cyborg said, interrupting her vicious thoughts. Raven looked up at him from her position on the floor, attempting to wipe a scowl off her face and only partially succeeding.

“Need a hand?” Cyborg offered her his metallic appendage along with a soft smile.

Raven sighed and gave Cyborg a small grin of her own before accepting his large hand. Cyborg pulled her gently to her feet and made sure she was steady before letting go. Raven opened her mouth to thank him, but before she could—

“Robin? Oh Robin, please to be waking up now!”

“Hey, Rob! Dude, c’mon, wakey wakey, tofu eggs and bakey!”

Raven glided over to Starfire, Beast Boy, and Robin, the last of whom was curled unmoving on his side in the fetal position. She knelt down by his head and placed her palm on his temple.

After a moment of inner debate, she decided to put it bluntly. “Robin’s alive, but because he is human, whatever happened to us was rougher on him than it was on us. I don’t know when he will regain consciousness, although I believe that when he does, he won’t be too much the worse for wear.”

“Uh…could you go over that last part again?” Beast Boy said. “Too many big words for m— _Ah!_ Kidding, I’m kidding!”

Raven’s glowing eyes faded back to normal, and she lowered her fist back to her lap. She had the distant realization that she had never had any breakfast, nor had she made her traditional cup of tea. _Today is going to be a very long day._

“Do not worry, friend Raven. We are all together, Robin will soon recover, and all will be well,” Starfire said, placing a slim hand lightly on Raven’s shoulder. She seemed to only half believe her own words.

But Beast Boy nodded vigorously. “Yeah, Rae, it’s all good! I mean, other than the fact that the bank somehow became a creepy hobo shelter while we were knocked out and, and, uh, I’m gonna stop talking now sorry.”

“Naw, B., you’re right about one thing: this bank is dang creepy, and,” Cyborg bent down and gathered Robin’s prone form in his augmented arms. “It’s about high time we got the hell outta Dodge.” With that, he began marching towards the boarded-up door.

Starfire flew ahead of him, red hair streaming behind her. She lit the way for the others with her spirit as she performed an elegant corkscrew in midair. “Oh, yes, come my friends, and we will leave this vile place behind us!” She paused as she arrived at the door and found that someone had pushed a heavy wooden roll top desk against it—the doors, after all, opened inwards.

“Oh, no. I am sorry, but we really cannot be staying any longer,” Starfire said. Hovering, she grabbed the desk by one corner and flung it easily out of the way. Close behind her, Cyborg and the others ducked in order to avoid the airborne bureau, which landed with a resounding _crash_ and enough splinters to give even Superman nightmares.

“Easy there, Starfire,” Raven said, pressing a hand to her heart.

Starfire blushed and giggled. “Forgive me. I am simply excited to be free of this peculiar place. _Anything_ is better than this!”

Beast Boy squealed and seized his own hair with his hands. “ _Dude!_ That’s like, the one thing you should never, _ever_ say when going into unknown territory! That, and “What could possibly go wrong?”!”

“C'mon, BB, this ain’t a horror movie. It’s just another normal day in our abnormal lives,” Cyborg said. “ ’Sides, I’m curious to see what’s going on out there, since in here looks like this.” The broad-shouldered teen turned to Starfire. “Now then, little lady, would you do us the honor of getting those boards out of here?”

Starfire grinned, her eyes glowing emerald. “It would be my _pleasure_!” With that, the wooden planks and decrepit door erupted into green fire and billowing smoke.

_Smells like a campfire_ , Raven thought. She waved her hand and deflected a chunk of wood that was on a collision course with her face. Another arm motion and the smoke blew rapidly away, leaving the path clear for the Titans.

In single-file they walked out of the bank, first Starfire, then Cyborg (with Robin still in his arms), followed by Raven, who stepped cautiously over the smoldering embers and blackened glass. Beast Boy became a hard-hoofed goat and crunched across to join the others. He nearly rammed into Raven’s back once he was outside—she had stopped dead in her tracks— and his short fur bristled as he sensed the _wrongness_ of the world. The Titans stood still and took in their home.

Jump City was in shambles. The pavement was cracked and faded, buildings had lost bricks and acquired broken windows, and litter blew around stagnant cars, carried on a gust of cold, sour wind. Above them, the sky was cast over with dark grey clouds. There was no birdsong, no human voices, no rumble of traffic, and no barking dogs. The small saplings that had been planted only a month ago by Jump City’s Beautification Committee were now barren skeletons; their trunks and branches looked as though they had been fossilized, and the multicolored pansies that had grown beneath them had become dry, withered husks. The city stood silent and hollow.

“ _Oh, no,"_ gasped Starfire. She landed roughly on her feet as her powers of flight abandoned her. She spun around to face the others, her eyes overflowing with tears. “What has happened to our home? Please, I do not understand!”

The rest of the Titans were frozen in place. All that they had striven to protect, the place that they called _home,_ had been devastated by some unknown force, and they had not even been conscious to fight it—or to at least witness their city’s passing. After a minute or so of horrified wonder, Beast Boy was the first to move; he morphed back into his human form, took a shaky step over to Starfire, and enveloped the girl in a hug. Starfire wrapped her arms around him and rested her forehead against his shoulder, hiding her face.

_Today has certainly been an emotional rollercoaster,_ thought Raven. And then: _When did Beast Boy get so tall?_

Cyborg softly bumped her hip with his. Grateful for the distraction, Raven glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and saw him straining exaggeratedly under Robin’s weight. The corners of her lips turned up, and she mouthed, _"Should we ask Beast Boy to turn into a pack mule?”_  Cyborg’s shoulders shook with silent laughter. _Only we could manage to laugh while in the carcass of our own city._ Raven began to wonder if her friend’s laughter was tinged with a bit of hysteria.

“Ah, Starfire, I don’t mean to be rude or anything, but, um, you’re starting to crush me,” Beast Boy wheezed.

“Pardon me, friend Beast Boy,” said Starfire. She dropped her arms to her sides and scuffled back a step as Beast Boy took several massive gulps of air.

“Hey BB, are you finished re-inflating your lungs? ‘Cause I wanna get going and find some answers…and a cold bucket of water to dump on Robin here,” Cyborg said. He looked down at the dark-haired boy in his arms and groaned inwardly, but he could not mask the fact that he was concerned. Whatever had happened to them had been powerful, human or no. _After all, most people don’t sleep through Armageddon_ , thought Cyborg.

“Yeah, I’m good now,” Beast Boy said. “How ‘bout you, Star?”

“I believe I am the good.” Starfire wiped her eyes and sniffed, then offered the group a slightly crooked smile and flew a foot off the ground.

Raven adjusted her hood and joined her in flight. “Let’s go.”

Beast Boy turned into an alpaca and wiggled his tail invitingly at Cyborg. The electronic teen grinned and settled Robin’s figure on his friend’s fluffy back.

“If you get tired, tell me and I’ll carry him for a while,” Cyborg said.

The green alpaca nodded and clopped after the flying girls, who had almost rounded the corner of the bank’s block. Cyborg stretched his arms and yawned—he hadn’t even finished his cup of coffee that morning, and getting blasted by three funky energy beams really took it out of a guy.

  
“Hey!” Cyborg barked when he realized that Beast Boy the alpaca had left him all alone. “Wait up, guys! _Man!"_ He took off running after them.


	2. Chapter 2

The Titans had been walking for about 20 minutes, and they had not encountered a single living thing—there weren’t even any bugs buzzing around.

“I thought we would at least see a cockroach or something,” Raven had muttered.

They had looked through broken windows, stuck their heads through all the doorways that were not boarded up (not very many) and, only half joking, had asked if anyone was home. There had been no response to their yelling. Starfire even flew down to look under the rusted-out cars, but, predictably, she found nothing. Raven had taken the high route and flown up to inspect the roofs of some of the taller buildings they passed. She did not find anyone, but, on a few roofs, she did see what could have been the tattered remnants of tents.  Finally, the Titans reached the town square. Everyone’s stomach rumbled as their favorite pizza place came into view, but just like the rest of the city, it stood faded and dilapidated.

Cyborg walked to the dry fountain in the center of the square and, with a sigh, sat down on its southern-facing rim. He cupped his chin in his hand and placed his elbow on his knee, scowling.

“You look like _The Thinker,_ Cyborg,” Raven said, alighting next to him.

“Yeah, I’m thinkin’ alright. I’m thinkin’ that we are in serious trouble if we don’t find _A,_ some people, _B,_ some food, and _C ,_ some dang answers,” Cyborg said. He glared at the cobblestones beneath his feet.

A cold wind blew through the square and Raven pulled her cloak tighter around herself, shivering. _“He’s right, you know,”_ said a nasty little voice in her head. _“We are all going to be in a lot of trouble, and surprise! It’s your fault. Without you and your powers, this wouldn’t have happened at all…”_

“Shut up,” Raven whispered. She withdrew deeper into her hood. She didn’t know if it was one of her Emoticlones talking or just her own brain playing tricks on her. Was Self-Doubt a clone? Self-Loathing? Raven had never _seen_ those particular personified emotions walking around her in her brain, but they were probably there somewhere.

“Did you say something, friend Raven?” Starfire landed on Raven’s right side and tilted her head at the glum girl.

Starfire’s compassion and earnest concern rolled off of her like waves on the ocean. Raven lowered her shoulders and relaxed under the soothing influence of her friend’s feelings. She pictured whitecaps dyed pastel as the rising sun’s light reflected off the water, and she almost heard the waves breaking on the sandy shore.

“Thank you, Starfire. I’m fine now…but I think Beast Boy might be having some difficulties,” Raven said.

The three Titans on the fountain looked over at the alpaca, which was prancing impatiently with their brave leader still unconscious on his back. Cyborg snickered and got up to unburden the beast. As soon as he had picked Robin up, the alpaca shifted back into a fatigued green teenager. Beast Boy flopped to the ground, panting, with his tongue hanging out of his mouth.

“Does…anyone…have…any… _water?"_

Cyborg set Robin down inside the fountain basin and tapped the smooth grey stone it was built from. A puff of dust went up and relocated itself to Robin’s spotless uniform top. Cyborg winced.

“No water,” he said, turning to Beast Boy.

Beast Boy took a deep breath and prepared to let it out in a querulous groan, but he was interrupted by the echo of pounding footsteps heading in the Titans’ direction. He hauled himself to his aching feet and the others did the same, spinning around to find the source of the commotion.

“There!” Starfire exclaimed, pointing to the east. She waved ecstatically as she saw two people in ragged clothing run out from a sidestreet behind a building. They were still rather far away, but she figured that they would see a flying girl gesticulating at them even from a distance.

Their voices bounced off the buildings, and, for the first time in what felt like years, the Titans heard the blessed sound of other human voices. What the voices were saying, however, was less than pleasant.

“Mike! Come _on!_ Keep running, dammit! It’s too late for them, we gotta keep _going!"_ The high-pitched voice broke in a sob, but its owner, the shorter of the two, did not slow their pace.

“Are you _insane?! Listen_ to yourself, Angela! That’s my brother back there! My brother and your dad! We can’t leave them to—to—” Here the taller individual broke off and pulled away from his companion, racing back towards whence they came.

“ _Mike, no!_ ”

Before the man, Mike, could disappear from the Titans’ view, he skidded to a stop and stood, chest heaving. Now the Titans could hear more footsteps, and after a moment, two more people stumbled into the square. One had his arm around the other’s neck and appeared to be slipping off.

“J-just leave me. Please, just leave me and save yourself.” His echoing voice was shaking and defeated. “Zack, I mean it. _Go,_ damn it.”

Raven sensed the terror radiating from them, especially from the man who had just spoken. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the scene playing out in front of them, but she knew that her friends were on the verge of jumping into action—Raven actually heard Cyborg’s knees creak as he prepared to move. She readied herself as well, but she had a nagging feeling something was very wrong.

Beast Boy’s feeling wasn’t _nagging_ so much as it was slapping him upside the head and hollering in his ear, all while dressed in bright neon clothes and waving a sign that read “DANGER” in all capitals. Even in human form he could smell something emanating from just beyond the corner of the building the two men were closest to. The scent was horrific, somewhere between rotting meat and stagnant swamp water. He opened his mouth to warn the others but he gagged, nearly vomiting. _God,_ he could _taste_ it!

The Titans saw Zack hesitate and slow his pace, and the man he was supporting nodded. He unhooked his arm from Zack’s neck and slumped to the ground. Even from a distance, the Titans could tell that the man’s left leg was broken.

“What the _hell,_ Zack!” It was Mike, running towards the injured man and shoving Zack to the ground in the process. “Bro, what the _hell_ are—oh _shit!"_ Mike screamed and stumbled backwards, tripping over Zack’s torso in the process. He landed roughly next to his brother on the hard ground.

Beast Boy covered his nose and mouth with both hands in a desperate attempt not to throw up whatever was sloshing around in his empty stomach. His eyes watered, and he could hardly see the source of the stench through his tears. However, the rest of the Titans could see it— _them,_ and they immediately wished that they couldn’t.

Around the corner lurched hateful mockeries of human beings. They were dirt-encrusted, ragged, and rotting. Many limped along on feet and legs so twisted they were almost backwards. Others were covered in boils so full of pus they were nearly bursting; still more were lacking in the limb department. One misshapen figure appeared to be missing their face, nose and all. As all the wretched creatures entered the square, they surrounded the three men cowering on the ground. Presently they let out a guttural roar and, before the Titans could react, fell upon the men with gaping mouths and clawing hands.

Raven felt as though she was floating. As the child of a demon, she had learned about and seen things that were unimaginable, neigh _unspeakable,_ but this… _this_ was something that even Trigon might turn his nose up at, or at least banish to the deepest levels of his realm. _Oh Azar, what kind of hell have we fallen into?_

Next to her, Starfire’s hands slowly curled into fists. Her fingernails dug into her palms, and everything from her wrist down luminesced with a fiery emerald corona.

“ _You,"_ Starfire bellowed, rising into the air. _"You will not injure these people. I will not allow it!_ ” She charged forward, eyes crackling with lightning, hurling starbolts with deadly accuracy.

The alien girl’s fury shocked Raven out of her stupor and she cried, “Starfire, wait! You’re going to hit the civilians!”

 _"They are already dead,"_ Starfire shouted as she continued her aerial assault. _“Do not hold back! Fight!”_

Now Cyborg was in motion. His arm shifted into his sonic cannon and it pulsed a cool blue. Cyborg double-checked his systems and followed his teammate into the fray. _Those guys might be dead, but Angela isn’t._

He was right. The last member of the small group was still alive and kicking—or perhaps _alive_ _and_ _swinging_ was more accurate. She had produced an aluminum baseball bat from the depths of her fraying backpack and was now taking swipes at anything that got too close. Unfortunately, this included Starfire, who was rather preoccupied with the encroaching horde of—of—

 _Zombies. Actual—freakin’—zombies,_ thought Beast Boy, still plugging his nose. _Oh, man, how many_ are _there?_ He wiped his eyes and started counting as fast as possible. _One-two-three-four five-six-seven…_ Beast Boy got to 27 before the mob’s tangle of decomposing limbs became too confusing to separate. _And here we are, five juicy teenagers without any body armor. Well, crap._ Did Starfire and Cyborg not realize what they were up against? Raven was still near him though; Beast Boy shuddered as he imagined one of those things biting through her leotard as easily as a hot knife cutting through butter.

“Rae,” Beast Boy croaked. “Will you stay here with Robin and protect him? _Please,_ Raven?” Beast Boy begged as he saw the murderous scowl she gave him.

“Fine. Go. Now isn’t the time to argue, anyway,” Raven said, her monotone voice giving away nothing. Her violet eyes watched Beast Boy as he morphed into a triceratops and galloped toward the battle—a battle whose participants numbered upwards of fifty and appeared to be creeping closer to the center of the plaza.

 _Lovely,_ thought Raven as she stepped onto the rim of the fountain and looked down at her unconscious leader. She closed her eyes, found her center, and, after a moment, reopened her radiant white eyes. A black force field descended from above the highest tier of the fountain and formed a bubble around her new refuge. _Hopefully that bat-wielding maniac will see it and save herself._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just as I suspected: another (by AO3 standards) short chapter. I actually wrote chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 months ago, but I only decided to edit and post them now. After all, what have I got to lose?


	3. Chapter 3

Beast Boy the triceratops was not having a good time. He had thrown himself into the center of the horde and had been immediately subjected to biting and scratching zombies. The first few he was able to deter by spinning in a circle and bowling them over with his tail and horns, but as more and more began to cling to him, Beast Boy started to worry that he would be overwhelmed by sheer numbers. His triceratops form had a nearly impenetrable hide, especially when it was only human teeth biting it, but the dinosaur’s actual  _ body  _ was a bit on the small side for a creature from the Cretaceous period.  _ A carnivore might have been more useful, but there is no way in hell I’m putting a zombie in my mouth. Whether a zombie bites you or you bite it, I’m willing to bet my Gamestation that the end result is the same. _

Over by where the monstrosities had stumbled in, Cyborg had fought his way to the three men on the ground by strength of sheer willpower. That, and a couple of well-timed sonic blasts combined with some fancy footwork. So far, he had come close to being bitten six times and had saved himself by angling the targeted limb so that the zombie got only a mouthful of metal. Cyborg had gleefully exclaimed “BOO-YAH!” when he found that his opponents made easy targets for his sonic attacks, but his exuberance had rapidly wilted when he saw that they simply lurched back to their crooked feet and continuing on their way after being hit. Still, Cyborg had pushed on until he could see where the men had fallen and found that…they were gone. The only indication that they had been there in the first place was the blood pooling between the cobblestones. Cyborg felt his stomach do a flip-flop at the sight of it.  _ What the hell man, were they just completely devoured in two minutes? _

Cyborg ducked as a screech came from over his head, followed by green light and explosions. Starfire appeared to be faring the best out of all of them, as every starbolt she tossed led to flying limbs. Starfire growled as she saw that even with such damage, the monsters were unrelenting in their savagery. They swarmed like ants over Beast Boy and were getting closer and closer to biting Cyborg. Starfire shot a blazing bolt at one that was readying itself to leap on his back while he took down another, but their attacks did not faze the rest of the pack.

“Yo, Star, where’s Raven? We could really use some magic right now!” Cyborg called to his airborne ally.

Starfire pointed back to the center of the square where Raven’s force field still held. To Starfire’s dismay, their enemies were now heading directly towards it. She threw more bolts at the stragglers and, though her attack did damage, they resolutely marched onwards to the black bubble.

“Aw, man, this is  _ bad. _ Real bad,” Cyborg said.  _ I didn’t even get to those guys in time to save them—save them from being eaten alive. Jesus. _

A fly buzzed past his face and Cyborg had to resist the impulse to swat at it. A frazzled-looking Beast Boy appeared by Cyborg’s side and grabbed his arm for balance.

“Those are  _ zombies, _ dude!  _ Zombies! _ _ Bad  _ doesn’t even begin to describe it! What the hell happened while we were knocked out? How  _ long _ were we out  _ for? _ Wh—”

“What has happened to the Angela woman?” Starfire cut off his rapid-fire rambling. The alien girl flew higher and scanned for the last survivor.

“Crap, I don’t see her. Do you think—?” Cyborg left his question hanging ominously in the air.

“I do not know, but we must return to Raven. She will require aid against the  _ Zakur’ugra," _ Starfire said. She zoomed off toward her friend to provide just that.

“Wait, hold on, the zakur- _ what _ -now?” Beast Boy yelled after Starfire, waving his arms.

“Too late BB, the girl flies fast. And those zombies—or whatever they are—are movin’ pretty fast too.” With that, Cyborg ran after his teammate at full tilt.

_"Uuugh_ , all this back and forth is getting _irritating_ ,” Beast Boy groaned. He turned into a velociraptor and followed his friends, claws ticking at the cobblestones as he went.          

Raven didn’t know how long she would be able to keep her force field up if the entire group of abominations attacked at once. Enough pounding and her wall would crack, and then it would only be a matter of time before it shattered completely. If—or more accurately  _ when— _ that happened, she herself would be thrown backwards with the force of the dispelled energy, leaving Robin defenseless.

“I guess I’d be defenseless too,” muttered Raven as the first of the horde arrived. Even after the other Titans had tousled with them, there were still at least 30 or so to contend with. She gasped as they began beating on her shield: they were far stronger than she had anticipated.  _ Damn it, Robin, wake up. They sense the easy prey under here. _ Curious despite the danger surrounding her, Raven cast a fraction of her mind out in order to sense what her adversaries were feeling. Perhaps the were afraid of fire, like Frankenstein’s Monster.

For perhaps a millisecond, Raven’s force field flickered as she made contact with one of the creature’s minds--or lack thereof. She instantly pulled her being back into her own body and bit her lip to try keep from screaming. She was successful: only a small hiss escaped. _Well, I’m not doing that again,_ Raven thought.

To her relief, her momentary lapse in concentration hadn’t allowed any zombies into her stronghold, but she knew it was weakening nonetheless. From beyond her obsidian barrier and the twisted bodies contiguous to it, Raven could see flashes of blue and green light and hear the roar of some kind of animal.

_ Krak.  _ The sound had come from behind her.

_ Crick. _ To her left.

_ Oh, Azar,  _ Raven thought. She didn’t have to look to know what had happened. She steadied herself.  _ You can do this. _ Raven stepped into the air and assumed the lotus position. She closed her eyes, brought her hands to chest-level, and bracketed the air in front of her heart. Time slowed down, and from a great distance she heard another crack. She sensed the weakness of her shield and the bodies pressed all around it. For a moment more, she waited. Then—

_ “Azarath, metrion, zinthos!” _

Raven flung her arms out and her black barrier moved with her, knocking the putrid bodies back and to the ground. Around the base of the fountain there was now a ring of clear stones fifteen feet wide on all sides.  _ Hah, _ thought Raven as her world went dark.

_ “Raven!”  _  The three Titans yelled as one and rushed to where she had fallen, stepping on and over warped figures as they went. Beast Boy reached her first. She had collapsed into the fountain’s basin and was laid near Robin, curled in much the same position he slept in. Beast Boy brushed Raven’s hood off her head and cast an eye over her face, looking for injuries and signs of life.

Cyborg’s sensors scanned her body in much the same way, finding a steady, if a slightly slow, heartbeat. The augmented teen exhaled, slightly relieved.  _ Where there’s a heartbeat, there’s hope.  _ He clapped a hand on Beast Boy’s shoulder.

“Raven’s gonna be fine, BB. She always is, no matter what kind of hell she goes through,” Cyborg said in an effort to reassure his best friend.

Beast Boy didn’t look up, and Cyborg inwardly sighed, staring at the back of the boy’s green head.  _ And now I have three teammates to worry about. _

“F-friends! We have an issue!” Starfire’s voice shook and her customarily vibrant orange skin had turned pale and clammy.

Beast Boy stood up and Cyborg slowly turned around, already knowing what they would see and hating it.

Around them, the zombies were struggling to find their footing on bumpy ground and broken ankles. All of them were emitting a phlegmy growling sound from deep within their chests. The cloudy sky above the Titans had darkened and seemed to be boiling; damp, bone-chilling gusts of air whipped through the plaza and carried the scent of decay to the three conscious teenagers.

Starfire cursed in Tamaranian, while Beast Boy decided to vocalize his fear with a four-letter Earth word. They stepped onto the rim of the fountain and cast about for an escape route, but with two unconscious teammates and the other flightless and made of metal, their options were limited. Starfire could carry Robin and Raven, but it would be an awkward and dangerous flight. Beast Boy had carried Cyborg as a pterodactyl before, but it take-off took time, coordination, and a large amount of room. Perhaps he should somehow carry the two—?

Most of the zombies had found their feet by now and were limping toward the Titans in a manner that could almost be described as cautious. Cautious and furious. Beast Boy’s mouth went dry as he saw the rage in their eyes, and as his hand crept up to plug his nose, he could have sworn they got angrier.

“Guys, we have got to go,” Beast Boy said, his voice made nasally by his pinched nostrils.

“Go  _ where?" _ Cyborg asked. His question was tinged with desperation, possibly because he was attempting to keep an eye on all sides of the fountain at once and was finding no way out.

Suddenly, Starfire cried out in warning, and the two boys spun around to see what was happening. Too late, Beast Boy saw that a zombie had dragged itself on its stomach and slipped into the basin. It was preparing to sink its teeth into Robin’s outstretched arm. Beast Boy felt like he was moving through molasses, trying to reach his leader and pull him away. He could see Starfire’s eyes begin to glow emerald green and heard the distinct sound of Cyborg’s arm reshaping into a cannon, but they were not moving quickly enough. It was as though he and they were trapped in a nightmare, the kind where the faster one needs to move, the slower one actually goes.

Something, however, was not under the thrall of their nightmare, and it went whistling past Beast Boy’s pointed ear to lodge itself deep in the zombie’s forehead with a  _ thunk. _ It was a shiny little disc, similar to the type Robin was able to throw over great distances. Robin’s encased enemies in ice, Beast Boy remembered, so it came as a rather large surprise when this one burst into red-hot flames, igniting the zombie along with itself.

The Titans staggered backwards, leaping out of the fountain, and Starfire kicked the burning zombie away from Robin and Raven on her way out. It fell out of the fountain and its kin shuffled away from it; even those on the opposite side of the fountain fell back a few feet, giving the Titans some much-needed breathing room.

_ "Okay, _ where the hell was that thing from, man?” Cyborg would have torn his hair out if he had had any.  "The last thing I need today is weird-ass combusting projectiles!" He satisfied himself by flapping his arms around and staring wild-eyed at his teammates and the steadily-receding zombies.

“And what’s  _ their  _ deal? First they wanna make a meal out of us and now they’re actin’ like we got the plague!” Cyborg was so engrossed in his rant that he hadn’t noticed the fact that Starfire and Beast Boy were gawking at something over his shoulder.

Finally, Beast Boy took a few steps over to Cyborg, put his gloved hands on his chest, and spun the other teen around with all his might. Cyborg stopped mid-rant as he saw who was behind him.

A tall man in a two-tone mask was elegantly picking his way across the blighted plaza in the Titans’ direction. The zombies scattered before him, disappearing down allies and shambling into buildings. In his right hand the man carried more shimmering silver discs; to his left there walked a seemingly shell-shocked woman—Angela. The broad-shouldered man guided her around the various cracks and craters caused by starbolts and held her elbow when she seemed about to trip and fall. In this careful process, the duo finally made it to the Titans unscathed. The man tucked the rest of the discs back into his utility belt and looked at the motionless Titans through his one-eyed mask. Finally, he spoke in a low, silvery voice.

“I never thought that I would be able to say this again, and yet, I can.” Slade said.  _ "Hello, Titans." _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With this chapter, I'm halfway done posting the parts that were written ages ago! 
> 
> (Also, thank you Coal for being the first person ever to drop me a comment and a kudos! It means a lot to me (and my pathetic excuse of a motivational drive)!)


	4. Chapter 4

“Ah, ah, no need to disturb Ms. Vargas any more than she already is,” Slade said, holding up his free hand in a gesture of peace.   

Beast Boy restrained himself from completing his shift into tiger form and slowly became human again. He did not look very pleased with it, and he bared his still-sharp teeth at the masked man opposite him.

Slade turned to Angela. “You see the thanks I get?” He spoke good-humoredly, and his voice was mellow and soothing.

“Uh…I…y-yeah…” Angela seemed dazed. She swayed, nearly collapsed, but managed to save herself by grabbing Slade’s arm. With deep purple crescents underscoring her unfocused eyes, Angela Vargas looked close to complete exhaustion. She couldn’t have been more than five feet tall; all of her grimy clothing was far too big for her.

“I suppose, Titans, that you would like an explanation for everything that you have seen,” Slade said. “Now, however, is neither the time nor place for me to give you one. Although, if you would follow me—”

“D’you  _ really _ think we’re going anywhere with  _ you?" _ Cyborg said with a derisive snort. “Either tell us here and now, or shove off and leave us  _ alone." _ He paused. “Thank you, by the way, for saving our collective asses from the zombies,” Cyborg added grudgingly.

“Yes, thank you for the ass-saving, but we will not be departing to anywhere with you. In fact, perhaps friend Angela would like to accompany  _ us?" _ Starfire turned to smile at the woman, who narrowed her dark brown eyes and gripped Slade’s arm tighter.

“No, thank you,” Angela said. Her words were beginning to slur together. “It…it’d be bedder if… _better_ _if_ you, um, came with us.” She nodded and then squeezed her eyes shut and winced. Angela massaged her temples with her thumb and ring finger, effectively obscuring her face. Starfire saw that all of her fingernails had been gnawed down to the quick.

“Is this really an appropriate moment to have an argument, Titans?” Slade sounded almost bored. “I honestly cannot leave you here, but if you are truly  _ this _ reluctant to take a leap of faith and accompany Angela and myself, I would be  _ happy _ to compromise and talk while we walk. Come, Angela,” Slade said.

The two got about 12 feet away before the Titans looked at each other, grimaced, and ran into the dull rush of the wind after them. Beast Boy skidded to a stop and the fountain and turned into a Bactrian camel.  Starfire placed first Raven, then Robin in between each of the camel’s two humps, and the green ungulate continued on his way with his insensible teammates in tow.

“Aw, man, Robin’s gonna have a  _ fit  _ when he wakes up,” Cyborg mumbled. His leader was in no way going to be pleased to wake up smelling like camel and in the company of Slade.

Beast Boy snorted and flapped his tiny ears as though to say, “Forget Robin, dude! Raven’s going to punt me into the stratosphere!”

***

The unlikely group walked deeper into the remnants of Jump City, first following Main Street, then darting through an alley stuffed with bursting garbage bags to arrive on Pine Street.  After several more alleyways and roads lined with rusted vehicles, the Titans found themselves turning left onto Bay Boulevard. The docks would be in sight soon enough—and so would Titans’ Tower.

Starfire had been walking beside Angela for 10 minutes now and had failed to elicit any non-monosyllabic responses from her. The woman’s eyes were only half-open, and she had let go of Slade’s arm in favor of taking his hand. Much to Starfire’s surprise, the villain didn’t seem to care one way or another. He just kept scanning the burnt-out buildings and marine warehouses that the group passed by on their way to a yet-unknown destination.

Starfire tried again. “It is odd that we have not seen any more of the  _ Zakur’ugra, _ is it not, friend Angela?”

“Huh?”

“The…the monsters?”

“Zombies,” Angela made an effort to speak. “They are called  _ zombies, _ and if I never see another one for as long as I live it still won’t be long enough.”

Starfire saw the woman’s eyes water and her lips compress into a thin line, and the alien teen knew how keenly the woman felt the loss of her companions. Starfire exhaled softly and went to place her hand on Angela’s shoulder, but her companion shied away and bumped against Slade.

“Pardon me,” Slade purred without breaking stride.

“My fault,” Angela said shortly. “Don’t apologize.” She looked at the cracked pavement beneath her feet and her ratty hair fell into her face.  “And Ms. Starfire…please don’t call me “friend”.”

_ "Oh," _ Starfire whispered. “Very well, fri—very well, Angela.”

_ Damn, Angela, that’s harsh. What did Starfire do to  _ you? __ Cyborg thought, appearing on Slade’s right side and walking at an angle so as to stay abreast of the trio and speak to the masked man.

“Look, I don’t mean to be rude here” _ —okay, I kinda do— _ “but we’ve been walkin’ for 45 minutes and you haven’t told us a damn thing,” Cyborg said. He frowned at Slade and ducked under a broken plank protruding from a window.

“I commend you for your patience, Cyborg. I expected Beast Boy to complain before you did, but now I see that he is otherwise occupied,” Slade said, casting a glance at the weary camel that clopped along behind them.

“You didn’t notice the  _ green camel  _ until  _ now _ ? I guess only having one eye is tougher than I thought,” sneered Cyborg.

“Careful, dear boy, you’re beginning to sound like Robin. Besides, it’s terribly rude to mock people who are lacking certain body parts,” Slade said. He gave Cyborg a coy look out of the corner of his eye.

Cyborg ground his teeth together.  _ Don’t take the bait, man; control yourself. Kick his butt another time. _ The thought occurred to him that he had never really spoken to Slade, nor Slade to him. Still, it wasn’t as though Cyborg  _ wanted _ to fraternize with the Titans’ worst enemy; he had done enough of  _ that _ when it came to Brother Blood. Cyborg sighed inwardly.  _ Why can’t I get a straight answer out of this guy? He’s like…oh,  _ hell, _ he’s like Robin at his moodiest to the power of ten. Dang. Okay, deep breath, deep breath. _

“So, is there anything in particular you want to explain, or is this more like a Q & A session?” Cyborg said, managing to keep his voice level.

Slade’s eye sought the washed-out sky, barely discernable from the wasted buildings that clawed blindly at its expanse. He seemed to have forgotten that Angela’s skeletal fingers still clung to his own gloved hand and tied them together.

“Ask, and I shall answer to the best of my abilities,” Slade said. His tone was noncommittal, his posture unchanged. The heavens above were mirrored in his iris.

“Okay then,” Cyborg said. He spread his arms out as far as his cramped surroundings would allow, as though embracing the whole city. “What the hell  _ happened  _ here, man? Last thing we remember is a funky knockout lightshow courtesy of Control Freak and Mumbo Jumbo, then we woke up and Jump’s been turned into the backdrop for  _ The Walking Dead!  _ How long were we  _ out  _ for?” There was a hint of desperation in Cyborg’s final question.

Slowly, Slade brought his gaze down from the cloudy expanse above him and met Cyborg’s eyes. Cyborg stopped dead and felt icy fingers of dread run down his spine. What was contained in the villain’s eye was not malice, nor was it twisted amusement. It was something akin to remorse. After a small eternity, Slade spoke.

“It has been three years since Jump City has seen the Teen Titans.”

Cyborg made a strangled choking _ _ sound and clutched at his chest.

_ "I do not believe you!” _ Starfire gasped, voice and body trembling. Her fingernails dug into her palms hard enough to draw blood.  _ "It is not possible. We could not—we  _ did _ not—” _

“You did,” a small voice said.

Slade felt the pressure increase on his hand and looked down at Angela. The woman seemed ready to sink into the ground, but she held Starfire’s wide-eyed stare. “You did, you did,” Angela said again, now with dull anger in her tone. “All of you abandoned us. You, Starfire, you said you’d come back with help, but you never came back. Superman, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, they didn’t come back either, they just flew off into the stars and let us  _ rot _ . They took their sidekicks and their superpowers and  _ left." _ Angela’s voice was growing into a hoarse scream, one that had been imprisoned for ages; now, at long last, it was free and bore the collective wrath of the dead. “We  _ needed  _ you. We needed our goddamn superheroes, and  _ you weren’t there! You didn’t even—you didn’t—" _

Angela choked on her rage, tears streaming down her face, and did what she must have been doing for the past three years of her life: ran, ran from the pain and the memories and the dead. Before anyone could move to stop her, she had disappeared into a warehouse. As her footsteps were consumed by the ravenous silence, the diminished group looked everywhere but at each other. They could not bring themselves to pursue her; Starfire thought she might shatter if she attempted to move, and the machinery below Cyborg’s neck appeared to have been disconnected from his head—how else could he be so numb? Angela’s words echoed in the Titans’ minds.  _ We needed you…you weren’t there…  _ No other phrase could have cut a hero as deeply as those six words. It was something a child might cry in the throes of a tantrum, but standing in the eviscerated remnants of their home, the Titans thought only of the laughing children that had lived there and idolized their hometown heroes.  _ We needed you… _

Beast Boy was at his wit’s end. He was hungry, thirsty, exhausted, confused, and had two of his friends passed out on his back. He had been so focused on not tripping over his own hooves and dislodging Raven and Robin that he had missed most of Angela’s impassioned speech. _Why are we standing around like a bunch of statues? All I heard was “heroes,”_ he thought.  Of course, he couldn’t exactly ask because he was a still a _goddamn camel_ and great, now he was angry, too. _I have had enough_ , he thought. He forced his spindly legs to walk over to Slade, who stood with his head bowed, examining his newly-relinquished hand. Beast Boy huffed a phlegmy snort through his large nostrils to get the man’s attention and battled the overpowering urge to spit at him.

When Slade looked up, he did not appear to be alarmed by the proximity of a green camel snout to his face. “Calm yourself, dear boy,” Slade said, leaning against a crumbling brick wall in order to obtain a better view of the sooty grey sky above the camel’s tufted head. “There is no need for us to pursue Ms. Vargas. We are close enough to our departure site that—ah, there she is.” Slade made a sweeping gesture upwards and stepped nimbly out of the way as Beast Boy heaved his hooved form around in order to see. 

With detached interest, Slade observed the prone figure of Robin begin to slide ever-so-slowly off the camel’s back. He was reminded of a small child with an overfilled glass of milk—it was inevitable that the glass would fall and shatter, milk would pool into the most minute of kitchen crevices, and at least one of the child’s parents would end up cutting themselves on a sliver of glass during the clean-up effort. There was still a faint scar, thin as a spider’s web, left on his index finger from just such an event: a memory of brighter days, a faded relic. Slade blinked and brought himself back to the present. He wondered if any of the Titans would catch their leader before he hit the ground; it was unlikely, as they were all held enrapt by the sleek aircraft descending from the blanketing clouds.

_ "Hellooo  _ down there, Slade.” The distorted voice had come from a crackling speaker on the aircraft’s matte-black exterior. “Damn, I sound  _ terrible! _ Didn’t you fix this speaker yet? And the windshield needs cleaning, too; I’m practically flying blind in here. I had to use the radar for most of the trip!” The owner of the voice gave a light laugh, a sound which would have been pleasant if not for the hissing undertones of the speaker. “Anyway, keep coming towards the docks; there’s enough room for me to land this blunderbuss over there. Oh, and bring your rescues—one of ‘em looks like she’s gonna take a swim, by the way, so you might want to hustle!” It was difficult to tell with the speaker’s static, but the voice sounded tinged with real concern. With that, the small plane made a looping about-face and flew over to the waterfront at a leisurely pace. The aircraft vanished from the Titans’ sight as its pilot began to set her down somewhere behind the long storehouses.

The arrival of the plane had broken the spell cast on the Titans by Angela’s confrontation, and Starfire shook her head to clear it. She could have sworn that she had heard the pilot’s voice in the past, but  _ when? _ And whose  _ was _ it? Cyborg, on the other hand, had no idea who had been flying the aircraft, but he sure as hell knew who that beautiful vehicle belonged to. With its sharp wings, nigh-impenetrable metal plating, and sleek yet strong design, there was only one person who really  _ could  _ own it.

“C’mon, Star, BB, let’s go,” Cyborg said. “And Slade, why did your… _ friend  _ up there sound so worried when she said Angela was “gonna take a swim”?”

“Yes,” Starfire said, brow scrunched with worry as the group recommenced walking. “Is there something the amiss with the water as well?”

“You will see soon enough, Titans. Perhaps we  _ should _ hurry. Although, before we go too much farther, one of you might find it prudent to keep Robin from falling off of Beast Boy and cracking his skull open.”

As Starfire and Cyborg scurried over to their friend and leader and began readjusting his prone form, Slade slipped into the warehouse that Angela had run through on her way to the docks. He sighed and shook his head. Dust motes danced lethargically in the weak light bleeding through the slats between the boarded windows. Slade could just make out the faint outline of sailboats huddling together in the dark room like a flock of sheep in the night. It would be easier to simply let the woman take the plunge after what she had witnessed today— _ gnashing teeth, filthy claws, rotting bodies oppressively close, the echoing screams of loved ones— _ but the masked man knew that such a solution would not be acceptable to anyone but him. Besides, he had to admire Ms. Vargas’ tenacity to survive; it would be a pity for her to throw her life away in a moment of despair and heartache.

“Hey man, you ready to go? We’re all set out here!” It was Cyborg, irritation prevalent in his voice.

“Just come through here and mind your step, Titans.”  _ Titans, _ Slade laughed quietly to himself.  _ Such a pleasure to see you again. _  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a love-hate relationship with Slade. He's an awful person (most of the time), but he's fun to write!
> 
> Also, if you feel bad for Angela now, just wait until the next chapter.


	5. Chapter 5

“Come, Beast Boy, you can make it! You are almost through the doorway! Oh, watch out for the—!” Starfire winced as Beast Boy whacked his green-furred head on a protruding plank. She, Beast Boy, and Cyborg had made their way through the warehouse fairly easily, and with Slade as their guide, it had only taken the trio of conscious Titans a few minutes to maneuver around all the boats, anchors, and buoys. The final challenge was the exit. Unfortunately, the massive sliding door, evidently once used for the ingress and egress of crates and personal watercraft, had been jammed in a position best described as “unsuited for camels.” There was only a tiny slit through which one could slip in and out, and camels bearing two teenagers on their backs did not exactly _slip ._ Beast Boy had managed to get himself wedged in the space between the edge of the sliding portion of the door and the area of the warehouse’s wall where it was meant to slide to. He had avoided two broken slats already, but the saying “third time’s the charm” apparently applied to splintering pieces of wood as well. The camel groaned and shook his head, tongue flopping out of his mouth in defeat.

Wisely, Starfire, Cyborg, and Slade had all gone ahead of Beast Boy, and thus were waiting outside in the pale grey light of the midday sun. Their backs were towards the docks and the silent bay, and just beyond where they stood, the path split to the left and right, forming a T shape. Cyborg was tapping his foot impatiently: he was considering running ahead to find Angela—and fishing her out of the water, if need be. It had been perhaps five minutes since Slade’s “friend” had flown off after telling the group that Angela was considering a dip in the sea, and Cyborg didn’t know if the pilot had been successful in talking the poor woman down.

“When is a door not a door?” Slade muttered, looking over his shoulder at the abandoned docks.

“Man, now is not the time to be pulling this Riddler shit on us,” Cyborg said, exasperated. “Starfire, I’m gonna go find Angela. Once BB gets himself free, the two of you should head to the left; I’ll head right. And _you,_ ” Cyborg said, turning to Slade, “can follow me, stay here, go find your pal, or, hey, just jump in the bay and save us the hassle of dealing with you.” _God, he gets under my skin just by standing there. Bastard._

“Friend Cyborg, I will simply remove the door. I do not believe it is safe to do the splitting up while there are so many of the… _zombies…_ nearby. Brace yourself, Beast Boy,” Starfire said as she grasped the heavy wooden door and began to pull.         

The camel closed his eyes and ducked moments before the door was forcibly divided in two with a loud _crack._ A great cloud of dust and splinters rained down upon Beast Boy and his passengers, the latter of whom did not stir from their slumber, even when one wayward woodchip dug into Robin’s throat and sliced through his skin.

“When it’s ajar.”

Starfire, Cyborg, and the now-free Beast Boy turned to stare at Slade. His one eye was fixated on the spreading crimson dot upon Robin’s pale skin and his head was tilted peculiarly to the right. He did not seem to realize that he had spoken.

“It…it is only a shallow wound,” Starfire said. Her brows were furrowed in confusion. “Do not be…concerned?” She sounded unsure of her choice of words.

“Yeah, I’m sure Robin’s been through worse,” Cyborg said with an accusing squint at Slade.

“Yes, I am sure he has,” Slade said softly. “However, that is not what distresses me at this particular moment. I believe Beast Boy knows the cause of my alarm,” he said, nodding at the Titan in question.

_Hell yeah I do! It starts with “hungry” and ends with” zombies!” Bloody unconscious prey is gonna draw them to us like moths to a light,_ Beast Boy thought frantically. He nodded rapidly at Slade and the Titans, his white eyes nearly bugging out of his head. _Time to go_ , he thought and began marching forwards, hooves scattering wood chips and stone dust in his wake.

***

The ragtag group emerged from the warehouse alley just in time to see the peculiar plane extend slender metal legs and settle onto the barren area near where the concrete of the dockyards became colorless weathered wood. Starfire’s hair was blown back as the engine cycled down into idle. As they approached the plane, a hatch slid open with a sound like nails on a chalkboard and a rather grimy walkway extended jerkily from the dark interior of the plane.

“Hurry _up,_ you piece of junk! Speaking of junk, Slade, in case you didn’t notice, the light is out and the gears are making that _love-_ ly sound again,” the pilot shouted over the cacophony of machinery. The voice had taken on a decidedly female pitch, and Starfire realized who it belonged to.

“The Catwoman?”

“Hello to you too, Selina.”

Starfire and Slade spoke simultaneously, and then turned to look at each other, eyebrows raised. “Funny,” Slade said to her as the walkway reached the ground.

“Sorry, I’m still working on his sense of humor,” said Selina as she strode down the metal sheet and over to the Titans. “He’s getting better, but, well, you know how it is with old dogs.”

She paused, then sighed. “Three years on and I’m still making animal jokes. Jesus. Also, I hope I’m not hallucinating right now, because I seem to be talking to the Teen Titans.”  

“In the flesh.” Slade spoke before any of the Titans were able to bombard Selina with questions.

“Hm,” said Selina. She studied the Titans from behind her smoky black goggles. “Starfire. I haven’t seen you in a while—how’d space treat you? You look good! Oh, and there’s Beast Boy! The camel thing suits you, really, it does. I kinda thought that you were dead, but hey, it’s not the first time I’ve been wrong. Raven, on the other hand, seems even goddamn paler than usual, and that’s saying something.” Selina paused before bending slightly to examine the prone form of Robin dangling between the neck and first hump of the green camel. “Hello, Bird Boy,” she said softly. “Now I think I know what’s going on.”

The villain straightened up and slid her eyes over to Slade, who stood with his arms crossed and his head tilted ever so slightly to the left. “Do you ever get sick of being right all the damn time, Slade?”

“Believe me, my dear, if I was always right, my life would be quite different than it is now.” _Again, he sees the drops of blood held motionless on the backdrop of cloudless sky, so blue, the scream cut off, the glint of sunlight off the steel of the knife, the gold and emerald stained crimson with failure…you lose, the mocking voice whispers across the years, you lose._ Ah, but Selina is staring at him now; someday he will tell her what truly happened, but today is looking rather busy, isn’t it?

It is Cyborg who speaks, unable to bear whatever the hell is currently going on any longer.

“Hi, hello, I don’t mean to interrupt, especially when I was so close to getting some answers to go with my extra helping of crazy, but aren’t we forgetting the reason we were in such a damn rush? Does _Angela_ ring any bells?” Cyborg said, gesturing towards the small figure he had spied, just visible through the maze of the docks that protruded over the scummy water. He held this pose for only a moment, and then he was off, warped wooden boards creaking under his weight. _"Angela!_ Hey, it’s us! Just stay there for a few more minutes!” Cyborg called to the motionless girl in the distance as he strode towards her.

Now Beast Boy was in pursuit. _Hungry zombies, hungry zombies, hungry zombies coming for blood, not gonna get us today, nuh-uh, no way, no how,_ he thought with only the slightest tinge of panic.

Before Starfire flew after her friends, she shot a glance over her shoulder at the two villains and gave them a questioning look.

“Go on ahead of us, girl. We elderly folk move a bit slower than you whippersnappers,” said Selina.

“You do realize that neither of us are _that_ old, Selina?” Slade shook his head as Starfire bolted off to rejoin her teammates.

“Hey, I don’t know about you, but I have a ‘crazy cat lady’ reputation to defend. I figure adding ‘old’ into that mix can’t really hurt, eh?” Selina nudged Slade in the ribs and ran ahead of him, laughing. The sound carried forlornly on the cold breeze and seemed to echo for much longer than it should have. Selina winced. “Come on, Wilson. Let’s go help the heroes.”

The Titans stood at the back of the dock; they had approached cautiously so as not to alarm Angela, who stood motionless with the toes of her faded brown boots just sticking off the edge of the weathered pier.  The water lapped sluggishly at the support poles, and Beast Boy’s nose crinkled in disgust as he realized that the once-azure bay had become the dirty grey of laundry water.

“Angela,” Cyborg said. He took a small step towards the woman and stretched his hand out, regardless of the fact that he was still a good 10 feet away from her.

“Don’t come any closer, please.” Angela did not look away from the water as she spoke. Her arms were stiff at her sides and her fists were clenched tight. The icy wind blew once again and swept Angela’s stringy hair back towards the Titans.

“P-please just _stay there._ I’ve been trying to make myself jump for a while now, but…” She gave a short bark of laughter. “I can’t quite get my legs to move. Y’know...I...I was like this as a kid too; when we went to the public pool it always took me forever to leap off the baby diving board. The other kids would yell at me to hurry up, _hurry up chicken, stupid chica, holding up the line, maybe she’ll just drown when she finally jumps in and then we won’t have to wait up here anymore, chicken girl._ Little did they know that I had stage fright…I didn’t want to do a belly flop or something in front of everyone, even though they would probably forget about it a week later.”

A silence grew between them, the Titans and the woman. Only the wind spoke, and it whispered of nothing but half-truths and cruel jokes.

“Sorry…T.M.I. But I guess that none of them remember the misadventures of Chicken Girl now, seeing as they—they—you know.” She sighed. “I still can’t jump because all of you are watching me. Could everyone just cover their eyes or something? Just turn away…" Another rough laugh. "You’ve done it before, after all.”

“Oh, _Angela ,"_ Starfire said, trying to keep the pain out of her voice. She was not sure she succeeded, and she could not continue speaking.

Beast Boy couldn’t keep listening to this without speaking up. He knelt on the worn boards and gently dislodged Raven and Robin from his back. At long last—praise sweet baby Jesus—he shifted back into a human. He stepped forwards, past Cyborg.

“Angela,” Beast Boy said. “You…you’ve been through hell, and I don’t really know what to say. I’ve only been dealing with all this for a couple of hours and I feel sick. You’ve lived through three years of this shit and you've kept on going. That…you are not a chicken, Angela; you are a goddamn _lion._ To persevere the way you have—I mean, you pulled out a frikkin’ _baseball bat_ and _held your ground._ Please don’t kill yourself, not after all you’ve survived.”

It seemed as though an ocean was between them. Angela still did not face the Titans. After a moment, she lifted her head and looked across the bay at Titans’ Tower, which seemed to have been damaged by forces unknown.

“Thank you, Beast Boy. That is the k-kindest—the kindest—" Angela’s voice broke, and her shoulders slumped, the tension seeming to ebb out of her body.

The Titans relaxed ever-so-slightly. Beast Boy looked at Starfire and Cyborg and offered them a weak, small smile.

“It’s not so bad now, I think. To jump.”

The Titans spun back around, eyes widening. Angela had spread her arms out like the wings of a bird, her head tilted back and her face to the sky. She leaned forward.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I need a t-shirt that says "I love Selina Kyle," because I really do.


	6. Chapter 6

“Ms. Vargas.”

Angela froze, teetering precariously for a moment until she rocked backwards on the balls of her feet. She turned her head enough only so that the left side of her weary face was visible. Her tears had left a crooked streak of clean skin as they fell from her eyes. As Angela’s arms sunk partially back down to her sides the Titans saw the aching sadness etched into her features, a pain vast as the sea and twice as deep.

“Is this truly what you want, Ms. Vargas? To die?” Slade spoke as he approached the pier where the Titans stood clustered and wove his way through the group until he managed to position himself out past Beast Boy, who gritted his teeth as the man swept past him. “Do you,” Slade said, “want to die like _this?_ Or do you just want it to stop? The running, the loss, the fear, the fact that your body and mind push you to keep living even though there seems to be nothing left to live for; is _that_ what you want to end?”

Slade was now perhaps three feet back from Angela, who still stood motionless at the very end of the pier. Her face had become a mask, but her eyes darted back and forth, as though trying to read Slade’s hidden face.

Selina spoke up, calling to Angela from behind the Titans. “If you want a purpose, we can give you one. If you want somewhere to stay, somewhere safe, we can give you one. Maybe you can’t trust the heroes, but now that they’re here, things are gonna ge—I mean, things will change. If you have lost your faith in them…would you consider trusting us? I think you’ve heard the rumors, and now you know that they are true: we are still here. We are still fighting. Will you join us? Will you _live_?”

The word was evidently a signal for Slade. He crossed the short distance between himself and Angela before the woman could move and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back from the edge.

Angela screamed. “No no no! Let me go! _Let me go!_ ” She writhed in his arms, hair flying, her face twisted in desperation and anger. She lashed out with her legs, managing to land several painful-looking blows as Slade carried her back to solid ground. _"Just let me die! I’ve had enough! Please, please, just let me go! I can’t—can’t do this anymore! Please, let me die!”_  

For once, Slade didn’t respond, choosing only to continue dragging the still-struggling Angela back to the Titans, who scrambled out of his way, and over to where Selina stood gnawing on her lip a few feet back. Slade dropped Angela and retreated backwards a couple steps, rubbing the silver armor at his kneecaps and shins wherever there was a dusty bootprint. For a moment, the Titans thought he was trying to get the dirt off, but then they realized that he was probably in pain. Despite everything that had just happened, Beast Boy had to fight the tiny smile creeping across his face.

Angela had collapsed at Selina’s feet and sat hunched over with her head buried in her hands. Selina put her hand on the other woman’s shoulder as she sobbed and, after a moment of hesitation, knelt down to her level.

“Sorry for that, um, _aggressive_ rescue there, girl. We’re still used to using force, but we’re trying—!” Selina’s apology was cut short as Angela flung her arms around the rather bemused villain. “Oh, you’re a hugger! How— _eh_ —sweet!” While Selina managed to awkwardly pat the shaking woman on the back as Angela clung to her, Selina looked over her shoulder at the Titans with an expression of the utmost discomfort.

“Well, now that _that_ imminent disaster has been solved, I guess we owe you Titans an explanation, huh?” Selina glared at Slade. “Perhaps _you_ would like to take care of that while I fly the plane?”

“Certainly,” Slade said. He walked over to Selina and Angela and placed his hand on the latter’s thin shoulder. “Ms. Vargas. We need to leave now.”

Angela detached herself from a relieved Selina and staggered to her feet. She stood looking at the ground while Selina rose and jogged over to the plane.

“Come on Titans,” Selina called over her shoulder. “Last one in’s a rotten egg.”

The Titans watched as Selina ran up the ramp and disappeared inside the plane.

“Well,” Cyborg said after a minute. “It’s not like we have much of a choice.”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it,” Beast Boy mumbled and began trudging over to the walkway.

“Ain’t that the truth,” Cyborg said. He bent down to pick up Robin while Starfire did the same with Raven, and they too made their way over to the plane. Once there, Starfire paused at the bottom of the ramp and looked over to where Angela and Slade stood. They seemed very small beneath the vast grey sky. After a moment, Angela started shuffling towards the plane with Slade in tow.

They were halfway to the ramp when an armless zombie appeared out of a warehouse and dashed towards Angela. It made a sound like laughter as it ran, mouth agape and eyes rolling.

Angela screeched and ran, letting go of Slade’s hand as she did. Starfire saw there was no way Angela could outrun her pursuer, but there was nothing she could do with Raven in her arms. Starfire turned and shouted up to Beast Boy, hoping he could take Raven to safety while she fought, but the world seemed to be moving in slow motion again. Everything was taking too long.

Starfire spun back around as a deafening _bang_ rang through the empty dockland.

The zombie had stopped dead in its tracks with a smoking hole through its head. Slade held a dark black gun in his hand and stood staring at the motionless creature. Angela, too, stared at the armless being. It was only five feet away from her. _She is lucky,_ Starfire thought foggily, _to not have been hit as well._

“Hm,” Slade said into the silence. “I can’t say I expected that.” He walked briskly over to the now-twitching zombie, placed the muzzle of the gun to the base of its skull, and pulled the trigger. This time, the creature’s head went up in an orange inferno of flames as it fell to the ground, screaming and writhing. Fire overtook the rest of its body as Slade extended his hand to a stunned Angela.

“Shall we?” Slade said pleasantly.

Angela blinked and took his hand, and together the two walked pasted Starfire and boarded the plane as though nothing had happened.

“--hey, hey, what the hell was that noise out there?” Beast Boy was saying as Starfire entered the plane. “It sounded like _gunshots."_

Selina laughed. “Probably because it was. I take it the first incendiary bullet didn’t work properly, Slade?”

“Does anything?” Slade said in return.

“Wait, wait, what did he shoot?” Beast Boy asked.

Selina rolled her eyes as she sat down in the pilot’s chair and began flipping switches. “Take a guess.”

“It was a _zombie,"_ Starfire said, still standing by the slowly-closing hatch.

“He _shot_ a _zombie?"_ Beast Boy said incredulously over the sound of grinding gears.

“Yep,” said Selina. “And lit it on fire. Incendiary rounds are handy like that.” She patted the small gun holster at her waist. It was the same shade of black that her jumpsuit was, so dark that none of the Titans had noticed it. “We never leave home without ‘em.”

***

The interior of the plane was a soft grey, like goose’s down, Cyborg observed. It was a bit of a tight squeeze with all the Titans, the two villains, and Angela on board, but at least they all fit. However, not everyone had a chair to sit in. Beast Boy had taken the form of a dog and flopped down on the floor, fast asleep and clearly exhausted. Robin and Raven had been placed near the left wall of the plane, still unconscious even as they lay on the cold floor. Starfire had taken the chair nearest Raven, while Angela had one on the right of the plane. She sat with her hands folded in her lap and looked out of--or stared at--the filthy window. Cyborg sat close behind her, still taking in his surroundings: this was, after all, the Batplane. Still, as Cyborg shifted in his seat, he couldn’t help but notice that part of the plating on the wall was held in place by several strips of duct tape.

“Yeah, I know she looks kinda shitty, but she flies well enough,” Selina called from her seat. It was true. After a slightly rocky lift-off, (and some floundering about for legroom) the Batplane had been flying along with ease, if not speed.

“We do, however, have to take it slow at times. The poor thing’s taken quite a beating over the past three years,” Selina said. “And there’s only so much we can keep fixing before she conks out entirely. Speaking of which…” Selina pressed a sequence of buttons on the control panel, and a light flashed green. She spun around to face Cyborg.

“Ah, the autopilot is working again! Lovely. That’s one less thing for Br-- _ehm,_ for Batman to worry about.” Selina grinned, then noticed Cyborg’s wide-eyed expression.

“What, kid?”

“I--do you mean--are we going to the _Batcave? Please_ say we’re goin’ to the Batcave,” Cyborg said.

“Dear boy, where else would we go?” Slade said. Cyborg jumped in his seat. The villain had been so quiet while standing in the back of the plane that Cyborg had almost forgotten he was there.

Cyborg groaned. “Can you _not_ call me that, man? It’s creepy,” he said to Slade without looking at him.

Selina laughed and gave her chair a spin. “I’m gonna start spritzing him with water whenever he says things like that, I _swear_ to _God._ Maybe that will train him to keep his mouth shut.” She winked at Slade. “Not while you have your mask on, of course. It’d be kinda pointless.”

Selina laughed again and pulled her own mask off, first removing her cat’s eye goggles and placing them on the armrest of her chair, then slipping her hood (complete with cat ears) down around her neck. Her dark hair was cropped close to her head, and she gently ran a gloved hand over the tight curls.

“You look surprised, Cyborg, Starfire. We _do_ take our masks off, y’know,” Selina said. “I can’t speak for Slade, but I don’t sleep in mine or anything. By the way, Slade, are you lurking in the shadows back there so you could--”

Starfire gasped. “Oh! Raven is awakening!”

It was true. Raven’s face had regained its color, and Raven herself groaned and shifted on the the floor. After another minute, she opened her eyes and sat up.

“What did I miss?”

As the Titans filled her in, Selina approached the silent figure of Angela.

“Hey. You still with us, kid?” Selina studied the other woman. She might have been in her early twenties, although the oversized clothes and filthy skin made it difficult to tell.

Angela looked up at Selina with wide, empty eyes. She did not speak.

“I’ll, um, just let you rest,” Selina said. She gave Angela an awkward smile and scuffled over to Slade, who still stood in the back of the plane.

“Well...this is an interesting turn of events, isn’t it?” Selina cocked an eyebrow at Slade. He only sighed. Selina laughed quietly in response and continued. “Do you suppose we ought to call ahead and alert the butler that we’ll be having some long-term guests over?”

“That might be wise. No need to give the man a heart attack, after all,” Slade said. He spoke as if there might be a time when causing someone to have a heart attack would be justified.

“All right. You can phone home while I tell the Titans about...well, you know,” Selina said, looking away.

Slade nodded once and slipped past Selina as he made his way to the pilot's chair. All he could do was hope that the Titans believed them. After all, it _was_ the truth, no matter how sordid the story was.

Selina groaned quietly and rubbed her eyes. She hadn’t slept well last night, and she certainly hadn’t expected her day to take such a drastic (and tiring) turn of events. Still, as she crossed the short distance to the huddled group of Titans, she realized that her first sight of Robin had done more to wake her up than any amount of caffeine could have. _Even though I drank three damn cups of coffee this morning_ , Selina thought as she sat down by the Titans.

The Titans, for their part, turned to look at her.

“So, are we finally going to get some answers?” Cyborg sighed. Raven only stared at Selina, while Beast Boy, who had woken up a few minutes after Raven, rubbed his stomach. Starfire’s attention appeared fixed on the still-unconscious Robin.

“Yeah, yeah,” Selina said lightly. “Sorry it took so long, but things these days rarely work out the way we intend them to. It’s a pain in the ass.” Selina cleared her throat. “ _Any_ way, as you’ve probably guessed, we’re in the Batplane, headed for the Batcave, where you’ll meet the Batman.” She laughed at the Titans’ expressions. “Yeah, Batman’s still got that _wow_ factor, huh?” Selina paused, then suddenly stood up and asked, “Uh, do you want any snacks or something? We’ve got granola bars.”

Cyborg opened his mouth to say no, but Beast Boy beat him to the punch.

“Dude, yes please! I am _so_ _hungry_.” Beast Boy turned to look at Cyborg and Raven, both of whom were giving him a death glare. “Aw, c’mon, don’t try to tell me you guys _aren’t_ hungry.” Beast Boy’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Plus, I feel like it’s _kinda_ rude to turn _Catwoman_ down. I mean, what if she got offended and clawed our faces off or something?”

“I can hear you, you know,” Selina said from the front of the plane. As Beast Boy let out a high-pitched scream, Selina smiled and shook her head. “Listen, Titans, I’m never going to hurt you, and neither will Slade. I know that’s hard--probably impossible--for you to believe right now, but...just try, alright?” Selina cleared her throat again. “So, granola bars! Who wants one--or two?”

Selina bent down and grabbed a plastic storage crate that had been hidden beneath the side console and gave it a shake. The sound of wrappers rustling around reached Beast Boy’s ears, and his stomach rumbled loudly enough to make Raven raise an eyebrow at Beast Boy. “Sorry,” he mouthed at her.

“Hey, Angela, Slade, do either of you want a granola bar? They’re, uh, “Oat and Honey” flavored,” said Selina.

Angela shook her head jerkily and wrapped her arms tighter around herself. She did not look away from the window.

“Slade, how about you? Want one?” Selina pulled a bar out and waved it in his direction. “They only expired...a year and two months ago.”

“No thank you, Selina.” Slade appeared focused on the console in front of him.

Selina snorted. “Fine. More for me and the Titans.” She walked back over to the teenagers and sat down, placing the crate on the floor as she did so. Beast Boy immediately grabbed a handful of bars and began unwrapping them, stopping only to eat his first and second granola bars in a couple huge bites. Cyborg shrugged and took two, while Raven levitated a few over to herself, Starfire, and Robin (for when he awoke). Selina slyly grabbed one of one Beast Boy’s already unwrapped granola bars, took a bite, and decided that they were only slightly stale. _Pretty good_ , she thought as she chewed.

“So,” Cyborg said. “Now that we’ve finally had breakfast, will you _please_ tell us just what the hell _happened_ ? Slade said that the Titans haven’t been seen for three years, but that’s...that’s _impossible."_ Cyborg barked out a laugh. “I mean, we were only out for a half hour according to my biosensors.”

“And what has happened to Jump City? Where did all of the _zombies_ come from?” Starfire asked. “Oh, nothing makes any sense to me.”

Selina bowed her head. “I hate to break it to you, but most things don’t make sense these days. So really, anything’s possible, including zombies and Robins come back to life.” She took a deep breath. “And it’s not just Jump City that’s overrun by the dead, Titans. The entire world looks like that...and almost 100% of the planet’s population is dead.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boy. This chapter was the last one that I wrote months ago, and it feels good to post it. Now it's time for the hard part: staying motivated enough to keep writing this rather long fic. Wish me luck!
> 
> Also, feel free to leave a comment telling me what your favorite kind of granola bar is.


	7. Chapter 7

“Please tell me that you’re kiddin’.”

“ _No_ , dude, there’s no way!”

“You are lying. Earth _cannot_ have--”

“How?”

The Titans all spoke at once. The thought that the whole world could look like Jump City had never occurred to them. Or worse, perhaps it had, and every one of them had denied the idea so strongly that it made the same difference.

“I’m sorry, but it’s true,” said Selina ruefully. “But _damn_ , do I wish it wasn’t.”

“Explain. _Now_ ,” said Raven.

“Okay, okay, fine, here we go,” Selina said, squaring her shoulders. “Here’s the short version of this shit show.”

“It happened three years ago, give or take a few months. Everything was normal, and then...and then it wasn’t. People started coming back from the dead, but they weren’t _themselves_ anymore.” Selina sighed. “This didn’t matter to most people from what I can tell. After all, who would be sad when their stillborn baby suddenly started moving and crying? Or when their spouse showed up on their doorstep after a deadly accident?” Selina paused, then said quietly, “It didn’t last long. Within two weeks, most of Earth’s population had been...turned. It...it just happened so _quickly_...one bite, and you’re one of them. There was no real way to fight, but on Thursday of the first week, Superman and Martian Manhunter went out into space with Green Lantern to beg the Lantern Corps (and any other allies) for help. They never came back. Not that it mattered. Even during the first week, everyone knew it was hopeless. I mean, if Superman and Wonder Woman couldn’t save us, who could?”

“So now, three years later, there’s probably less than 10,000 living humans left on Earth. Life’s kinda fucked up these days. Oh, and if you’re wondering how in the hell Slade and I have survived this long, it’s ‘cause we holed up with the Baman when all this shit first started. The Bat could survive a nuclear holocaust, so zombie apocalypse be damned.” Selina’s laugh was devoid of humor. “Speaking of Slade, I think _he_ should be the one to explain how you all ended up here.”

“Ended...up here?” Starfire said, voicing the other Titans’ confusion.

But Selina had already gone over to Slade and was speaking to him in a low voice. He said something back to her and got out of his chair. As Selina sat down, Slade made his way over to the Titans. When he knelt down in front of them, they collectively scooted farther back from him by a few inches.

Before he could speak, Selina called back, “Even with autopilot off, communications isn’t working. Stupid hunk of junk.” She hit the console with the flat of her hand, causing a few lights to flicker on and back off again. “Fuck it,” she groaned. “We’ll just have to surprise them when we get back. Oh, and judging by our current speed, we _should_ be back at the Batcave in _about_...two hours. Hm. I hope nobody has to go to the bathroom for a while.”

The Titans looked at each other, then at Beast Boy.

“ _What?_ ” said Beast Boy. “I’ll be _fine_ \--as long as I don’t think about waterfalls.” He grinned nervously as Cyborg and Raven buried their heads in their hands.

“I’m impressed, Titans. You seem to be taking the news quite well. Or is it that you do not believe what Selina has just told you?” Slade said.

Cyborg glared at the man. “Actually, no, I _don’t_ believe it. I don’t _want_ to believe it. Besides--”

Raven cut him off. “I believe it.”

“Why, Rae?” Beast Boy said, curious.

“Or y’all can just ignore me, that’s fine too,” grumbled Cyborg.

“What Catwoman said about us “ending up here”, and with everything that she told us...” Raven trailed off as she met Slade’s eye.

“We’re in a parallel universe, aren’t we?”

Starfire, Cyborg, and Beast Boy looked at Raven, then at Slade, too shocked to speak.

“Correct, Raven. You are not the Titans that belong to this universe,” said Slade.

“I...I, uh,” Beast Boy ran his hands through his hair. “I dunno what to say that.” The other Titans still seemed stunned into silence.

Finally, Starfire said, bewildered, “What did Catwoman mean when she said “Robins come back to life?” And how did we come to this “parallel universe?” I do not understand.”

For a moment, Slade did not speak as he studied the prone figure of Robin.

Then he said, “You can stop feigning unconsciousness now, Robin.”

“Wha--” Beast Boy started to say, only to be cut off by Robin swearing and sitting up.

“ _What!_ ” Cyborg yelped. “Man, how long have you been awake for?”

“I think the gunshots woke me up,” said Robin. “But I figured I’d keep an eye on Catwoman and Slade while they thought I was unconscious. To see if they were plotting something or planning to hurt us.” Robin seemed to be pointedly ignoring Slade’s presence, even though he was less than a foot away from the man. He turned so that his back was to Slade and could only see the Titans. “I feel kinda queasy, though. I might have sat up too fast.”

“Kid,” Selina yelled from the pilot's seat. “If you throw up, _I’ll_ throw up, and there are no barf bags in this Batplane. So _do not_ throw up. Got it?

“I’m not a ki--” Robin cut himself off. “Tch, forget it. There’s no point in arguing with villains.”

“God, I forgot how _annoying_ you were, Bird Brat. Do me a favor and go back to being unconscious,” said Selina.

The Titans watched their leader and Catwoman swap insults, their heads moving back and forth as though they were watching a particularly intense volleyball game.  

“Is this “the banter?”” Starfire giggled and stage-whispered to Raven.

“I’m not sure,” Raven said, managing to keep a straight face as she did. “It’s hard to tell.”

“Hey! I can hear you two back there!” Selina huffed and scowled, but she couldn’t keep her laughter contained.

Robin turned to Slade. “How did you know I was awake?” Robin said icily.

“You flinched when I knelt down next to you.”

Selina cut herself off mid-laugh as she said, “Christ, Bird Boy, you really hate him, don’t you.” It was not a question.

Robin scowled down at the ground as the Titans looked nervously at him.

Cyborg rubbed the back of his neck. _I don’t_ want _to be the peacekeeper between our groups, but I doubt anyone else wants to, either._ He settled for saying, “Catwo--er, Selina, _none_ of us like him.”

“ _Especially_ Robin,” Starfire added. “Did you not know this?”

Now Selina looked uncomfortable. “I mean, I _did,_ kinda, but I guess I didn’t really _get_ it until I personally saw them interact.” She crossed her arms. “Can we, uh, change the subject now? Maybe everyone could just shut up and let me fly the plane for the next hour or so? And before you ask, I increased our speed a couple of minutes ago, so we _should_ get to the Batcave in...” She checked a dial. “An hour and fifteen minutes. I can’t stand being in this stuffy plane with all this _tension_ for much longer than that.”

“Fine,” said Robin. “Everyone do what the _villain_ says and “ _just shut up_.””

Cyborg glanced at the Titans’ leader. _He looks seriously pissed. What’s going on?_ He didn’t have any longer to think about it as Selina stood up and strode over to Robin, who was still sitting on the floor with the rest of the Titans.

“ _Okay,_ Bird _Brat,_ ” Selina snarled, looking down at Robin. “What’s your _issue_ ? You’re getting on my fucking nerves for _real_ now. I’m sick of it, and I’m sick of being nice. So what’s the problem?”

Robin opened his mouth to speak, but Selina barreled furiously on. “You hate us, yeah? Me ‘n Slade? I _know_ that. You don’t wanna be stuck in here with us? Well, same here, because it’s cramped and I _hate_ small spaces like this. Why the fuck do you think I never let myself end up in Arkham? What is it, kid? Tell me something I don’t kn--”

“Batman never even _considered_ having you put in Arkham!” Robin exclaimed. “What are you _talking_ about?”

“Well it’s not like it was _up_ to him, now was it? If I got arrested-- _with_ or _without_ the Bat’s help--the cops would’ve had me thrown in there in less than 24 hours!”

“That doesn’t make any _sense!_ You’re not crazy!”

“You think it _mattered?_ The cops didn’t give a shit, and neither did the doctors! I ran around in a skintight _cat_ costume for fuck’s sake! That’s _plenty crazy_ to them!” Selina was screaming now, her voice hoarse. “You _never_ understood how this city worked, Bird Brat! I was _relieved_ when you left town. _Relieved!_ Because if you hadn’t, you would’ve ended up _dead!”_

“Batman--”

“Shut _up_ about Batman! He can’t save everyone! _He couldn’t save--!”_ Selina stopped as she slammed her hands over her mouth, her chest heaving with the force of her last sentence. The Titans stared at her, dumbfounded.

“Who…who couldn’t Batman save?” Raven said hesitantly.

Selina only shook her head with her hands still covering her mouth.

“He was unable to save someone he cared greatly for,” Slade said. He was still kneeling down by Robin and Selina, and by this point he seemed to be the only calm one onboard the plane.

_“Who?”_ Robin asked, turning to Slade. “No more half-truths, no more skirting around the questions. _Who?”_

Slade met Robin’s masked eyes and Robin suddenly felt as though he could not breathe. _What has Slade seen,_ thought Robin, _to make him look at me like that? What_ happened _here?_

“You will understand when we arrive at the Cave,” Slade said, his voice oddly flat. Robin had no chance to protest. Slade rose to his feet and took Selina by the shoulder, guiding her back to the pilot’s chair. “Do fly us a bit faster please, Ms. Kyle,” he said once she was seated.

“Only because you asked _so_ nicely,” Selina said, sounding much calmer now. “You ok back there, kiddo?” Selina called to Robin

Robin grimaced and muttered something under his breath.

“I didn’t _quite_ catch that, Bird Boy.”

“I _said_ \--” Robin sighed. “Don’t call me “ _kid._ ” You’re acting like I never left Gotham, left _Batman_ . Like I never _grew up._ And--and on top of everything else that’s going on--has gone on-- _whatever_ , I can’t handle that right now, ok?” Robin pressed his lips together. He was clearly done talking.

But Selina had other ideas. “That doesn’t explain why you were so angry in the first place. I don’t buy it, that you were mad _just_ because I called you “kid” and “Bird Boy” and wanted you to shut up. So what else is it? I think I got close when I mentioned being stuck here with Slade and myself.”

“Hey, uh, Selina?” Beast Boy said with a quick glance at Robin. “Maybe you should just let it dro--”

“The Batcave.”

Everyone save for Slade turned to look at Robin when he spoke.

“That was what got to me. Realizing that I have to go back there after all this time, and with villains for company. I...I told myself I’d never go back to Gotham or the Batcave, but I’m still being pulled back into my old life...in a zombie-infested _parallel universe_ no less.” Robin laughed dryly. “You can _never_ escape the Bat. Not really.” He spit out the last sentences as though the words tasted bad.

After a moment, Raven placed her hand on Robin’s shoulder. “You’re not going back alone,” she said softly. “You have us for company, too.”

Cyborg nodded reassuringly at his team’s leader. Still, he couldn’t keep himself from thinking how little they knew, even now, about Robin’s past with the Batman. _Why_ did _Robin leave Gotham? What happened to make him so reluctant to go back? Does it even matter now that we’re supposedly in a parallel universe?_ And then the most concerning question of all occurred to him: _Just how different_ are _these two universes from each other?_

As Cyborg shook off his reverie, he saw that Raven and Starfire together had managed to calm Robin down a little. Beast Boy had evidently tried to help by turning into a cat and curling up by Robin, but it was Starfire who had ended up petting him instead.

Cyborg then snuck a look at Slade. Selina was speaking to him so quietly that Cyborg couldn’t hear her over the hum of the engine and his teammates talking. As Cyborg watched, Slade shrugged in answer to whatever Selina was presumably asking him. Selina returned his shrug mockingly and turned to face the Titans again.

“Hey,” Selina said. “ _Hey,_ ” she said louder when no one responded. Cyborg groaned inwardly and poked Starfire, Raven, and Robin until they all noticed Selina impatiently drumming her fingers on her knees.

Now that she had all of the Titans’ attention, Selina seemed nervous. She cleared her throat, then said haltingly, “Sorry I got, uh, pissed off for a while there, Robin. I’m, um, not good at apologies, but I really didn’t mean to--that is, I…” She shook her head. “Anyway, I’m sorry. About everything.”

Robin only looked at her.

And then he said, roughly, “I forgive you.”

But Selina looked down at the controls in front of her and said, “Maybe you shouldn’t.”

 

***

 

Slowly, the Titans went back to their seats. Beast Boy had fallen asleep in his cat form, and Robin lay on the floor with him, perhaps trying to slip back into unconsciousness as well. Starfire and Raven were now sharing Starfire’s chair and looked as though they were quite cozy. Cyborg took his seat behind Angela. _Girl must be exhausted_ , thought Cyborg. A moment later, Cyborg heard the soft snores that proved his theory was correct. _Not a bad idea, Angela._ Cyborg leaned back (as much as possible) in his chair and tried to get comfortable enough for a nap. He felt very tired all of a sudden.

Everyone flew in silence for the rest of the trip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bleh, this chapter took me forever to edit. I'm still not sure I like it, but I just can't look at it anymore.


	8. Chapter 8

“Wake up, Titans. We’re here.”

Raven opened her bleary eyes and saw...nothing. The interior of the plane was nearly pitch-black, and what little light that filtered in was grey as charcoal.  _ Here? _ she thought,  _ Where’s here?  _ And then it all came rushing back in; the zombies, the smell of rotten flesh, the dead world. And the Batcave. Ah, yes, she was fully awake now.

“Huh? Whazzat?” Beast Boy stretched his now-human limbs and rubbed his eyes. He covered them with a squeal a second later as a lone (though rather bright) light flickered on in the plane.

“C’mon, c’mon, get a move on,” Selina was saying a she went around the plane and shook the Titans into alertness. “Don’t you want to meet the Batman? Eat something that isn’t granola?” She wrinkled her nose. “Take a shower, maybe?”

“Nooo,” Starfire moaned from next to Raven. “Silkie, nooo, do not consume that…” She opened her eyes and blinked. “Friend Raven, why are you looking at me like that?”

“I...it’s nothing, Starfire.” Raven was now biting the inside of her cheek to keep from giggling. “Did you sleep well?”

“Oh, yes, quite well! And you?” Starfire asked.

“Great,” said Raven, still biting her cheek. “Let’s help Selina get the guys up so we can get out of this plane.”

 

***

 

The hatch, again with a great grinding of gears and machinery, came jerkily down from the bottom of the plane and hit the metal landing pad with a ringing  _ clang. _ Selina stepped out first and called out, presumably to a hidden camera, “We’re home! And we have company!” Her voice echoed throughout the enormous cave, and Robin, who had walked out after her, braced for the onslaught of bats.

But it did not come.  _ All the bats must be dead,  _ Robin realized. He had not expected the feeling of sadness that washed over him at the thought, but he felt bad for the little creatures nonetheless. They had not deserved to die, no matter what Robin’s feelings were about the man who modeled himself after them.

As the rest of the Titans filed out of the airplane, Selina headed over to an elevator across from the pad. “Follow me, everyone. Keep up, Slade.”

Cyborg turned to look at the man in question and coughed in surprise when he saw him. Angela lay in Slade’s arms, still deep asleep. Slade seemed unbothered by both the presence and the (slight) weight of the woman. Cyborg decided not to say anything.

“For those of you who don’t know, we’re in the hangar/basement portion of the Batcave,” Selina said as she walked. “A few floors up, we have the main hub--that’s where the Batcomputer and training area are--and off that main hub we’ve got bedrooms, bathrooms, even a kitchen.” She shot a look a Robin. “We live down here, after all. It’s safe and secure.”

The group had reached the elevator. Selina pushed the “up” button and the doors slid open, revealing a blessedly large elevator car.

“How does this place have power?” Raven said as everyone piled in.

“Well,” said Selina. “The Bat has a surprising amount of generators. Some run on gasoline, while others are solar powered. Main hub, please,” she said. The elevator doors closed with a soft  _ bing _ and the car began moving. “The elevator is voice-controlled. Helpful when you have your hands full. Anyway, gasoline and solar are nice and all, but it’s rarely sunny these days. Luckily, Bats  _ also _ has thermal generators underground. Had ‘em there before all this happened. Some fancy Wayne tech stuff.” Selina looked at Robin again, but his face was carefully blank.

_ “Main hub,” _ said the elevator in a faintly posh British accent. The doors opened to a spacious, dimly-lit room, and everyone exited the elevator car. The Titans squinted in the darkness, attempting to look around. The floor was steel, but the walls were those of a cave, rough and stony. Cyborg started when he realized that the “floor” was actually a very wide railed walkway that ran the length of the cave--it was at least 60 yards long. He figured that if he walked to the edge and looked over, he would be able to see the Batplane that they had just left, now far below them.  _ That is, if there was some dang light in here. _

“Dude,” whispered Beast Boy to Cyborg. “Is that…?”

Cyborg followed Beast Boy’s wide-eyed stare and saw who he was referring to. At the other end of the walkway, lighted by the blue glow of the Batcomputer, was a hooded figure sitting in a chair, his back to the group.

Starfire felt Robin take her hand. His was shaking. Starfire ran her thumb over Robin’s knuckles, trying to soothe him.  _ That must be the Batman, to make Robin react so. Why does he tremble so?  _ Starfire felt worry worm its way into her gut, though she tried to keep it down.  _ He clings so tightly to me, but not out of fear. Robin is...angry. _

“Hey, Bats, we’re back,” called Selina. “And we’ve got guests. We tried to call ahead and tell you, but, uh, the plane comms is out again. Unfortunately.” She took a few steps forward. “They’re not normal guests, Bats. It’s the Titans. All of them.”

“Bring them over.” The Batman’s voice was deep and scratchy, like the music off of an old record.

“Ohh-kay,” said Selina. She turned to the Titans. “Brace yourselves, kids. And Robin...remember what I said about not forgiving me? This is why you shouldn’t.” Selina gestured for them to follow her.

“W-wait,” said Robin. “But--won’t--?” It was too late. Selina, walking fast, nearly running, was already halfway to the midpoint of the walkway. The rest of the group was right behind her, jogging (or flying) to keep up. Slade was the only one still standing by Robin. Angela continued to sleep in his arms.

“What happened to secret identities?” Robin snarled at Slade. “If they see who Batman is, and where we are, they’ll find out who  _ I _ am.”

“Isn’t it time they knew?” Slade said calmly.

“But when we get home--back to our universe--Batman’s identity--”

“Dear boy, who says you will be able to go back to your world?”

_ “What?” _ Robin gagged. “What did you just say?”

Slade’s only response was to walk after Selina and the Titans, forcing Robin to run and catch up to him.

Robin didn’t stop when he reached Slade; instead, he kept running until he caught up to the rest of the Titans. By the time he reached them, Selina was mounting the few stairs that led to the Batcomputer’s designated space. 

“Bats, are you sure you want them to know--?” Selina let the question hang as she approached the man sitting in the large leather chair.

“Yes, Selina, I’m certain.” He added something that was too quiet for the waiting Titans to hear, but Selina shook her head and moved aside on the short staircase. The Titans walked up to meet the Batman.

As they gathered around him, he stood and brushed back the hood of his jacket. The screens of the Batcomputer illuminated his handsome face as he spoke. 

“Welcome, Titans. I’m Bruce Wayne, although you all know me as Batman. I’m pleased to meet every one of you.”

The Titans were dead silent. Then there was a great cacophony of teenage screaming.

“I knew it!” Beast Boy was screeching to nobody in particular. “I totally knew it!”

“No you didn’t!” Cyborg retorted, laughing wildly.  _Billionaire Bruce Wayne is the Batman_ _,_ he thought.  _It all makes sense now, but dang, I can barely believe it._

Even Starfire and Raven were yelling, both of them speaking in their own mother tongue. 

The only one not participating in the shouting match was Robin. He stood cold and distant as the stars and stared at Bruce Wayne with ice in his veins.

“But wait,” gasped Starfire abruptly. “If Batman is the Bruce Wayne, would not Robin be…?”

“Richard Grayson, my adopted son,” said Bruce. “Yes.” He paused and looked at Robin for the first time since the Titans had arrived. Everyone stopped yelling very quickly, and Selina looked like she wanted to be someplace else. Bruce sighed. “However,  _ your  _ Robin is not  _ my  _ son or former sidekick. He is not this universe’s Robin, just as you all are not this universe’s Titans.” He turned and faced the Batcomputer again, it’s blank screens still glowing a frigid blue. 

“So that’s it then? You’re just giving away our secret identities like candy now?” Hissed Robin. “We’re getting home somehow, but you’ve just given everything away like it’s not an issue. You’re acting like we’re stuck here, so none of it matters. But we’re not. We  _ can’t _ be.”

“Um…” Beast Boy said. “What did you say about getting h--”

“Hey, Bruce!” It was Selina. “We rescued a civilian, too, y’know. Her name’s Angela, uh, I don’t actually remember her last name. Slade, help me out here?”

“Vargas,” said Slade. He shifted Angela in his arms and she stirred but did not wake. 

“Oh,” Selina said. “Why don’t you lay her down on one of the couches over there?” There were indeed couches and plush armchairs about four yards from the Batcomputer, all arranged in a large circle. “What? We needed  _ somewhere _ for all of us to sit together,” Selina said defensively in response to the Titans’ odd look. “We just thought it would be nice for it to be by the Computer in case of emergencies...and for convenience, I guess. Besides, there was space right there.”

When Slade returned from setting Angela down, Selina said to him, “So, uh, are you ever going to take your mask off? I mean, the Titans know who Batman is now, so I  _ think _ you’re okay to show them  _ your _ face.”

“Wait, wait, what?” Robin said.

Selina laughed. “Yeah, now you’re paying attention, Bird Boy. So, Slade?”

Slade shrugged and pulled his mask off.

Robin didn’t really know what he was expecting. A fleshless skull again? Maybe. But what he got wasn’t exactly expected, either. The eyepatch made sense, of course--there was a reason Slade’s mask was blacked out on one side. He remaining eye seemed to be a sharp grey color, which was surprising: Robin had thought it was blue for some reason. The silvery hair was a bit of a shock, too, because aside from that, Slade did not look like (or fight like) he was very old. Perhaps the most unexpected feature was Slade’s skin tone; lighter than Cyborg’s and slightly darker than Selina’s, it was a warm russet brown that was in striking contrast with the man’s silver hair.

“You seem surprised, Titans,” Slade said. “Masks only serve as protection now, and I do not care if you see my face. Yet you are evidently shocked for a different reason. What?”

“Uh…” Beast Boy said weakly. “You’re not…” He blushed, his face turning the color of pine needles.

“White?” Slade said succinctly. It was odd being able to see him smile, be it ever-so-slightly. “I am, on my father’s side. However, my mother was Indian and Japanese, so far as I was able to discover.”

“Oh,” said Cyborg. And then, “Why are you telling us this?”

Selina spoke up. “Bruce, Slade, and I decided back when we first moved in here that we needed to be honest and communicate with each other if we wanted to survive. Mr. Wayne still struggles with that sometimes.” She shouted her last sentence in the direction of Bruce, but he had disappeared from his seat. “Of course,” Selina sighed, rubbing her temples.

“Ms. Kyle,” said a new voice. “Perhaps I might show the Titans to their rooms?”

Robin’s eyes widened.  _ “Alfred?” _ He whispered.

“Hello, Richard.” The voice trembled on the name. “It is so  _ wonderful  _ to see you again.” A tall, trim man stepped out of the shadows near the the circle of furniture. He was dressed plainly, in black slacks and a white dress shirt. A little moustache sat neatly on his upper lip, and his steely grey hair was receding. He smiled softly at Robin.

_ “Alfred!” _ Robin cried and ran to the man and wrapped his arms around him. Alfred hugged him back as tightly as he could, his head on Robin’s shoulder. “I missed you, Alfred. I missed you so much.” Robin felt tears brimming in his eyes, threatening to spill over.

“I missed you too, Richard. More than you could possibly imagine. I am terribly glad you found your way here...I will have to thank Ms. Kyle and Mr. Wilson quite profusely for helping you and your team to safety.”

“But Alfred,” said Robin, separating from the man. “Bruce said I’m not...not  _ your _ Robin. Not this universe’s Robin.”

“Richard, do you think I do not know that? It does not matter to me. You look and act exactly the same as this universe’s Robin did. To all extents and purposes, you  _ are _ him, at least to me--and perhaps to everyone but Master Bruce.”

“Hold on…” Robin said, frowning. “You just said “did.” How “this universe’s Robin  _ did.” _ Why did you refer to him--to me--in the past tense? What happened to this universe’s Robin?” He turned to look at the Titans, who were talking quietly to Selina. He felt suddenly apprehensive. “What happened to  _ all _ the Titans, for that matter? Alfred?”

“I...I believe Ms. Kyle and Mr. WIlson will explain that to all of you after everyone freshens up. The Batcave underwent many renovations in the years that passed since you left and the... _ apocalypse _ began, and we have many more bedrooms and bathrooms now. While they were originally intended for emergency guests, they have been used only for storage as of late. Nonetheless, I believe you will find them to your liking. Perhaps showers are in order?”

Robin sighed and let the matter rest. “You know what? That...that sounds great, Alfred. Thank you.” 

“Of course, Richard.” Alfred smiled, but he looked sad. “I will show your friends to their quarters, then. Come, Titans,” he called to the teens.

Robin walked slightly behind the group, nearer to Slade than to the others. The man still held his two-tone mask in his hands.

“So,” said Robin. He thought,  _ Let’s see if what Catwoman said about “communicating” is true. _ “Your last name’s Wilson, huh? What’s your first?”

“My name is my name, Robin.”

“Wha--so you mean your name is just Slade? Seriously? You’ve  _ got _ to be kidding.” Robin laughed in disbelief.

“I’m not. My name truly is Slade Wilson.”

There was a long pause. And then...

“...I can’t believe it.” Robin placed a hand to his cheek. “I just can’t believe it.”

 

***

 

The small group had just reached a large hallway with three doors on each side, each door spaced evenly apart. Without a doubt, these were the bedrooms. Alfred was reaching to open the first door on the left when Selina gasped,

“Oh, my god!” We forgot Angela!”

The Titans had been so caught up in the idea of a shower that Angela had slipped their minds completely.

“Let her sleep just a bit longer, Ms. Kyle. I will tend to her once the Titans are settled in,” said Alfred.

After all of the Titans had selected a room for themselves (with a minimum amount of bickering), it was quiet once again in the Batcave.

“Slade,” said Selina. “Did you remember that Angela was still on that couch?”

“Yes,” he said. “But I thought it wise to let her rest where she was--!”

Selina cut him off by punching him in the arm. “You fucking jerk. You could’ve told me! I feel  _ bad _ now; we left her all alone!”

“No need to worry, Ms. Kyle. I have a strong suspicion that Ms. Vargas has yet to awaken,” Alfred said.

When the trio arrived back at the cluster of couches and chairs, they found that Alfred was quite correct. Angela had not moved an inch since they had left her.

“Whew,” Selina sighed. “Now that I feel better emotionally, I’m gonna go take a shower before the Titans use up all the hot water. See you later, Slade. Bye, Alfred.” She waved as she walked off.

“Would you be so kind as to carry Ms. Vargas for me, Mr. Wilson?” Alfred asked. “We really ought to get her to her room.”

“Certainly,” Slade said. He picked up Angela once more, and he and Alfred made their way back to the last empty room. Slade set Angela gently down on the bed and Alfred tucked her under the downy blue comforter.

_ I shall have to wash these sheets after Ms. Vargas awakes, _ Alfred thought to himself as he eyed Angela’s dirty clothes. He gestured to Slade and the two left the room as quietly as possible.

After they had closed the door on the still-sleeping woman, Alfred turned to Slade.

“When the Titans have finished refreshing themselves, I would sincerely appreciate it if you and Ms. Kyle were to tell them about what happened to them in this universe. It is only fair that they know.”

“Tell them,” Slade said softly, “Or show them?”

Alfred sighed and bowed his head. “Whatever the two of you think is best shall suffice.”

“Very well.” Slade turned to leave.

“Mr. Wilson,” said Alfred. “Thank you for saving them.”

Slade only nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't think I've ever met anyone that doesn't like the character of Alfred Pennyworth. I, personally, love him to death.
> 
> (Also, has anyone figured out that I don't know what to put in the Chapter Notes yet?)


	9. Chapter 9

When Cyborg stepped into his quarters, he saw that what Selina and Alfred had said was true: the rooms were indeed being used for storage. Cardboard boxes and plastic crates of all sizes were piled high to the ceiling, each one marked with a piece of masking tape. Cyborg’s eyes widened when he saw that the strips of tape read “Capes/Cowls,” “Gloves,” “Utility Belts,” “Spare/Replacement Parts,” “Batarangs,” “Other Weapons,” and “Etc.”

“Oh _man,_ ” Cyborg said. “This is just too much for one day.” He nudged one of the nearest boxes with his foot and leapt back when it popped open.

“Heh,” he laughed shakily. “Tape must be old.” _Still,_ he thought, _No harm in looking. Well, probably no harm. Maybe no harm. Hopefully no harm._ Cyborg lifted the cardboard flap and took a cautious peek inside. To his immense relief, nothing exploded in his face. Inside the box was...another box, this one made of some dark, shimmering metal. Cyborg checked the label on the outer box and discovered that it said “Batarangs.” _Probably stored in the metal case for safekeeping--and safety._ He closed the flaps of the box and headed to the bathroom, only slightly disappointed that the case had had a fingerprint lock on it.

“Who puts a metal box inside a cardboard box, anyway?” Cyborg muttered as he turned on the shower and stepped in.

 

***

 

Raven, upon entering her room, found books. Shelves, bookcases, and (of course) boxes of them lined the walls and covered every available inch of the floor.

“As important as it is to preserve literature, this is more than a little ridiculous,” Raven said. She levitated over to the bathroom and turned on the shower with a flick of her wrist. As the water warmed, Raven removed and folded her uniform and placed it on the sink counter. _It’s not like I have anything else to wear._ And then, _Is there soap and shampoo in here?_ She stepped into the shower and discovered that there indeed was a (slightly dusty) bottle of shampoo and a bar of soap. _Good enough,_ thought Raven. As she washed her hair, she realized just how strongly the scent of the dead clung to her skin. She shuddered despite the hot water.

 

***

 

Starfire did not think her quarters were too terribly full of items. It was challenging to see the walls through the barrier of plastic crates, yes, but they were clearly arranged by a careful hand and left plenty of space for movement. _Mr. Alfred must have organized this room himself,_ thought Starfire. Her heart twinged at the memory of Alfred and Robin hugging. _Oh Robin, why did you still not trust us enough to tell us who you truly were?_ Starfire shook her head and glided to the bathroom. As she moved a container out of the shower stall, she noticed that it was marked “Personal Effects--A. Pennyworth.” None of the other crates had been labeled as such: they all apparently held the belongings of B. Wayne, T. Wayne, M. Wayne, and R. Greyson. _They do not have many effects,_ Starfire thought. _But survival against the Zakur’ugra is more important than one’s possessions._

 

***

 

Beast Boy, on the other hand, wasn’t quite sure what was being stored in his room. He thought it might have been clothes, but he was in far too much of hurry to get to the bathroom and use the shower. _I need get this smell off of me right now. I can’t take it anymore._ As he vaulted  into the shower and began scrubbing himself down, another thought popped into his head: _What_ was _Robin talking about when he said that stuff about not getting home, anyway? Because we gotta get home. We can’t_ live _here! That’s nuts!_ He scrubbed harder. _We haven’t even been here a full day and we already nearly died!_ And then the worst thought of all hit him like a freight train: _We let three people die, and they were right in front of us! I couldn’t even save Angela without the bad guys’ help!_

The rest of his shower was no more soothing.

  


***

 

Robin found his room to be filled with antique furniture from Wayne Manor. He told himself that he did not care about any of it. Still...he’d fallen asleep on that couch one Christmas Eve while waiting for Santa Claus. _And Alfred actually let me sleep there instead of making me go back to my bed. I was so surprised._ Robin smiled, but his grin quickly slid off his face as he thought, _Did that even_ happen _in this universe?_

“Fuck,” he whispered. “Why _this?”_

 

***

 

The Titans all found clean clothes outside their bedroom doors.

 _Thank you, Alfred,_ Robin thought.

“Woo hoo!” Beast Boy cheered, ditching his bathrobe. “Sweatpants, hoodies, and underwear for everyone!”

Starfire giggled at her too-big hoodie, and Raven smiled as she pulled the hood of hers up, regardless of her damp hair. Even Cyborg pulled a hoodie on, enjoying the feeling of its fuzzy interior on the little skin he did have.

“Hey, Raven, Star, what did you find in your rooms? Because I got a boatload of batweapons in mine,” said Cyborg.

“There are at _least_ a thousand books in my room.”

“In mine there are the containers of what I believe are the most important possessions of the Wayne, Greyson, and Pennyworth family.”

“Huh,” said Cyborg. “All those books must have come from Wayne Manor; I heard there was a pretty extensive library there.”

“So a thousand is just a drop in the ocean,” Raven lamented. “I wish they had been able to save more.”

“Perhaps they did, friend Raven. The books may simply not be stored within your quarters.”

“Oh. That’s true, Starfire.” Raven smiled at her and got a pleased beam in return.

“Yeah, Star,” said Cyborg. “It’s interesting that your room is filled with Wayne’s stuff, too. Most people wouldn’t think to care about their ancestral belongings during the apocalypse.”

“That’s what being rich and sentimental gets you,” Robin said, materializing along with Beast Boy beside the trio. His hair lay oddly flat on his head, and Raven realized he had no hair gel in this world, a fact which may have been contributing to his sour expression.

“Hey, so what do we do now, dude?” Beast Boy asked Robin.

“You come with me,” Selina said, appearing at the end of the hallway. “And you get the answers you’ve been wanting. C’mon, Titans.” She winked and vanished around the corner.

“Why can’t she just sit down and tell us?” Raven said tonelessly.

Robin grimaced. “It’s not what she _does_. She never was one to monologue.”

The Titans followed Selina back to the circle of couches near the Batcomputer. Bruce Wayne was nowhere to be found, but Slade was sitting in one of the armchairs, reading a book. Neither he nor Selina had their armor on, but were instead dressed in civilian clothes. Selina wore leggings and a large purple sweatshirt that read, “I Survived Gotham 2011!” in bold orange print. Slade was dressed in his familiar color scheme--black pants and a long-sleeve grey shirt. Something at his neck glittered in the light provided by a sole table lamp.

“Is it just me,” Beast Boy whispered to Raven, “Or is it, like, _super_ bizarre to see villains in normal clothing? Especially _him.”_

“It _is_ odd,” Raven murmured back.

Selina cleared her throat. “Before we do anything else, I want to say that I have absolutely no idea what happened in Gotham in 2011.” She coughed. “Anyway, Alfred asked Slade and I to tell you what happened to this universe’s Teen Titans. I _really_ don’t want to, but I can’t let Alfred down; he’s such a sweet old man. So here we are. Take a seat, why don’t you.”

The Titans looked at each other and sat down. Robin rolled his eyes and chose an armchair as far away from the two villains as possible. Raven sat on the couch most distant from Slade and crossed her legs.

“Not to be rude, Robin,” said Selina. “But why do you still have your mask on? I thought we moved past that.”

“I...I didn’t even realize I was wearing it,” Robin said, surprised. He made no move to remove it.

“Oooh-kay,” Selina said. “Well then, let’s get started, shall we? Slade, put your book down.”

Slade closed his book with a _snap_ and set it on the lamp table.

Robin suddenly had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Selina took a deep breath. “No use beating around the bush, Titans. As you may or may not have guessed, this universe’s version of yourself is dead.” She held up a hand to keep the Titans from pummeling her with questions. “At least, we’re 95% sure they’re dead. We know for certain that Starfire followed Superman, Green Lantern, and Martian Manhunter into space, but we don’t know exactly why. We doubt she was trying to escape Earth.”

“You are correct. No version of myself would _ever_ abandon this planet,” said Starfire. “As for my motive, perhaps I was seeking help from Tamaran? My birth planet,” she clarified at Selina’s confused look.

“That would make sense,” Selina nodded. “The only problem was that “our” Starfire never came back. So, we believe something happened to her and she...well, died.”

Starfire opened her mouth to speak, but Selina steamrolled on.

“We also know that Beast Boy and Cyborg were both killed by the zombies during the first week of the... _takeover._ Sorry, guys.”

“Aw, dude,” Beast Boy said dejectedly.

“Does that mean there are zombie versions of BB and I runnin’ around out there?” Cyborg asked.

Robin’s bad feeling intensified.

Selina shifted in her seat. “No. It was reported that the zombies, uh, ate you.” She winced as Beast Boy shrieked.

 _“Dude!_ That’s _disgusting!”_

“If it makes you feel any better, you went down fighting. The two of you were defending a couple busloads of civilians from a horde of zombies,” said Selina.

“I feel sick,” Cyborg muttered. He shook his head as he tried to imagine being eaten alive by zombies.

“I really am sorry,” Selina said. “Most, if not all of the more powerful superheroes were eaten--though we don’t know why--so at least you’re in good company.”

“That doesn’t make me feel any better,” said Cyborg.

“Why _is_ there so much you don’t know, Selina?” Raven said, curious in spite her herself.

“Because it’s only Bruce, Slade, Alfred, and I left here. There was no way for us to watch everything that was going on in the world as it ended, so we’re left with holes. It’s not like we can ask other people what happened in their state or country, after all. There are so few people and so little communication between the survivors that no one knows anything anymore. We’re all alone.”

“Why didn’t Bruce use the Batcomputer to watch the news channels during the first week?” Robin asked.

“He did,” said Selina. “However, after the early reports of people returning from the dead, the “returned” started attacking and biting people. Earth fell into chaos so quickly that no news was broadcast. There was simply no time.” Selina shrugged. “And that was the end of the world.”

“What...what happened to friends Raven and Robin in this universe?” Starfire said after a minute had passed.

“Oh, right,” said Selina. “Got a bit sidetracked there. Well, Raven just sorta disappeared. Slade told us that she probably hopped into another dimension for safety. We thought that she might still be alive, but now that you’re all here…”

“Now that we’re all here _what?”_ Robin said.

“Slade should probably explain this next part,” said Selina. “I don’t understand this inter-dimensional and -universal junk as well as he does. Slade?”

“Very well, Selina.” Slade closed his eye before continuing. “Based on what I learned during my time spent with Trigon, my theory is that only one version of a person can exist in a universe at any given time. Thus, the Titans that belong to this universe must be dead in order for you all to be here.”

“But _why_ are we _here?_ Why _this_ universe instead of one that has--has _werewolves_ instead of _zombies?”_ Beast Boy asked.

“If I were to hazard a guess, perhaps it is because our two universes are the most similar to each other,” Slade said. “That, and the possibility of literal space between universes…” He trailed off, thinking for a moment.

“So it’s because of similarity, proximity, and, well, dead people?” Selina said.

Slade opened his eye and looked at Selina. “Yes. Perfect. Thank you, Selina.”

Selina grinned. “Anytime, Slade.”

“So you’re saying that everything was exactly the same in our universes except for the fact that the one we are all currently in...had a zombie uprising,” Raven said, skeptical.

“Right,” said Selina. “Right?”

Slade nodded.

“As much as I know about interdimensional travel, movement between universes is not my specialty.” Raven said grudgingly. “So I suppose it’s possible.”

“It’s all we’ve got,” Selina said. “Now, then--”

“Hey, wait a sec,” interrupted Beast Boy. “You never told us what happened to Robin in this universe.”

Robin’s bad feeling was now nearly unbearable. _Something is very wrong here._

“Well, he’s dead, or else your Robin wouldn’t be here with the rest of you,” Selina said, sounding nervous. She jumped in her seat when Slade spoke.

“Selina, we agreed to do more than tell them. Besides, this will make it easier for the Titans to believe us. I suspect they still have... _reservations_ on that front.” He stood up and started towards the elevator.

“Fine, fine, fine,” Selina said. “Back to the basement we go, Titans. We have something to show you.”

 

***

 

The elevator doors opened on a long, dark hallway. There were bare lightbulbs every seven feet or so, but a fair amount of them had burnt out. They were beneath the landing pad for the Batplane now. It was winter cold down in the depths of the Cave, and Raven shivered even with her hood up.

Robin shivered too, but for a very different reason. “Why are we in the holding area?”

“You’ll see,” said Selina as she started down the hallway.

“Holding area?” Starfire said as she and the others followed her.

“Yeah, Star, this is where Batman kept villains who needed special accommodations while Arkham Asylum got a cell ready for them,” said Robin. “He had Killer Croc down here for a while because Arkham had to fix Croc’s aquatic cell after he escaped. Of course, the holding area was a lot nicer back then.”

“We try to come down here as little as possible nowadays,” said Selina. “So of course it’s fallen into disrepair. Also, Croc should never have been in Arkham in the first place. Other than being part crocodile, he was completely fine.”

“He’s literally a cold-blooded _killer!_ ” said Robin.

“I dunno, I thought he was pretty nice. He liked cats, did you know that? And they liked him back. It was cute, really. Oh, look, we’re here.”

The group had reached the final cell in the hallway. Unlike with the other cell doors, the eye-level hatch on it was closed, though it seemed to have been opened regularly, if not recently. The door, Starfire noticed, also appeared to be locked from the outside.

“What...what’s in there?” Robin said. He barely held back a groan. _I feel like I’m gonna pass out. What is wrong with me?_

Selina had crossed her arms and was looking anywhere but at the Titans--particularly Robin. “Slade, can you open the hatch, please?” she asked, her voice tight.

“Of course,” Slade said. “Gather around, Titans.”

“Just what are we about to see, man?” Cyborg said.

“The reality of what this world does to people. In more ways than one.”


	10. Chapter 10

When Slade opened the hatch, the Titans were instantly aware of a presence within the cell, though none of them had yet dared to look in. It was the smell that gave away what was inside, that reeking scent of death which was so terribly common in this world. It wafted out of the small cell and made the Titans choke. 

“W-why,” coughed Beast Boy, “Do you have a  _ freakin’ _ zombie in here? This is crazy, even for you two.”

Selina looked at the floor. “Bruce has a hard time letting go.” 

“What is that supposed to mea--” Raven’s jaw snapped shut as she realized what it meant. She turned to look at Robin. The boy was shaking, his masked eyes locked on the rectangular patch of darkness that the weak hallway light had failed to illuminate. “Don’t tell me,” said Raven. “Please don’t tell me that…”

Even Slade had looked away from the Titans. Mask or no mask, his expression was still impossible to read. Wordlessly, he pointed to the door.

Starfire was the first to approach. She curled her fingers into a loose fist and brought a shimmering green starbolt into existence. Its light flooded into the cell, and what was within was revealed. A zombie, yes, but one with short black hair and the tattered remains of a red, green, and yellow uniform. Starfire recognized that costume even in the emerald light cast by her bolt. Her lips moved soundlessly, but the Titans knew what it was that she said:  _ Robin. _

The thing inside the cell shambled closer to the source of the light, and Starfire saw that it did not have it’s--Robin’s--mask on. Two lifeless eyes met her watering ones, and Starfire shook her head viciously. This was not at all how she had wanted to see Robin’s face for the first time.

The monster opened its mouth.  _ “Ar. Ire.” _

Starfire screamed and extinguished her starbolt. She spun around and ran past the stunned Titans, back towards the beginning of the hallway. She said something in Tamaranian, tears now falling freely from her eyes. 

“Starfire,” Cyborg said. “I...I know. Just stay over there. You’ll be--it’ll be okay. I promise.”

Starfire shook her head and swiped her forearm across her face, but she stayed where she was while the others took their turns peering into the cell. No one said anything: there was nothing  _ to _ say.

Finally, Robin tore his eyes away from the door. He had seen enough--had enough. He strode over to Slade and grabbed him by the collar, pulling the man down to his level. Slade didn’t resist. Robin felt something odd brush against his knuckles, but he couldn’t let himself get distracted.

_ “Explain. Now.” _ Robin snarled into Slade’s face. “What the  _ fuck  _ is this?”

“Robin!” Selina exclaimed. “This wasn’t--this isn’t his fault!”

Robin twisted around, face ugly with fury.  _ “It’s  _ always _ his fault!” _ He brought a hand back. “Everything that’s ever happened to us is  _ his fault!” _ Robin slammed his fist into Slade’s face. There was a sickly  _ crack _ as the villain’s nose broke. Robin looked at his bloodied knuckles and let go of Slade, who straightened up with a strange half-smile on his face. He brought a hand to his nose and it came away red.

“Why are you  _ smiling?” _ Robin said. “What is  _ wrong _ with you, you fucking _ psychopath?” _

Slade laughed, blood running down his face. “I’m glad you’re angry, dear boy. Perhaps it will keep you alive this time.”

“Fuck you,” Robin spat. 

“Robin, try to calm down,” Selina said. “Slade didn’t  _ do _ anything, I swear! Bruce is the one who locked the zombie up down here!” Selina turned to the Titans beseechingly. “Is Robin always like this?”

“When Slade’s involved, yeah,” Beast Boy said. “And before you ask, I don’t think any of us are upset that Robin just punched Slade. Maybe Slade didn’t do anything  _ this _ time, but he’s done plenty of shit in the past.”

Raven nodded and Cyborg crossed his arms. 

_ “Heroes,” _ Selina said. “Hey, Bird Boy, if you want an explanation, you can get it from Bruce Wayne. Lay off Slade, ‘k? Or else kitty gets her claws out.”

“What happened to you and Slade never hurting us?” Cyborg asked Selina mockingly.

“Shut the hell up, Tin Man,” Selina snapped. “That promise only works if you all keep your side of it by not hurting _us._ _Comprende?”_

Cyborg opened his mouth to respond, but Starfire stopped him.

“Can we be going back upstairs now, please?” Starfire sniffled. 

Selina deflated, her anger disappearing as quickly as it came. “Of course we can, kid. That sounds like a good idea.” Selina pinched the bridge of her nose tiredly. “Robin, we’re going back up now. I’ll get Bruce to talk to you if you just calm down and get the the elevator, alright?”

“Fine,” said Robin. “Let’s get out of here.”

 

***

 

When everyone was once again seated in the furniture circle, Selina spoke.

“So I’m gonna go get Bruce. Hopefully that will clear some things up. Try not to kill Slade while I’m gone, Titans.”

“Should be more worried about him killing us,” Beast Boy muttered. 

“I heard that,” said Selina. “Oh, and Slade, do something about your nose. I think it’s still bleeding.” With that, Selina vanished into the shadows of the Batcave.

For a few minutes, no one spoke. Then…

“Well, this is cozy, isn’t it,” said Cyborg. Raven snorted, and Cyborg felt some of the tension ebb out of the air. Even so, looking at his teammates’ faces, Cyborg knew they were still shaken by what they had just seen.

“Are you okay, Star?” Robin asked. The girl was fiddling with her hoodie, and Robin saw that her fingers were trembling. 

“Yes. No. Oh, I do not know.” Starfire buried her face in her hands, though she did not cry. “To see you as a  _ Zakur’ugra, _ friend Robin, was most--most upsetting. It was so  _ wrong. _ ”

“I know what you mean,” said Robin. “I can’t even put what I felt into words. Sick, mostly. Like I was going to throw up, or faint, or both. But you handled it really well, Starfire.”

Starfire gave him a small, crooked smile. “No, I did not. I came very near to attacking the monster when it...when it  _ spoke. _ I only stopped myself by doing the running away.”

“I  _ would’ve _ attacked it if I were you,” Beast Boy said. “I don’t think I could have stopped myself. The talking thing was  _ freaky.” _ He shot a glare at Slade. “Besides, I doubt it’s safe to have a  _ zombie _ down here with us.”

Slade met Beast Boy’s eyes dispassionately. “Are you so sure you would have been able to attack if it resulted in the creature’s destruction?”

“Well, yeah, I mean, it’s just a zomb--” Beast Boy stopped and slowly turned to look at Robin, who looked back at him. He swallowed with sudden difficulty. “A zombie that looks like Robin.  _ Was _ Robin.  _ Is _ Robin? On second thought, I, uh, might have some trouble with that.”

“You and the rest of the world,” said Selina, reappearing by the Batcomputer. “How do you think the rest of the superheroes were defeated? They couldn’t bring themselves to fight and destroy things that seemed so  _ human _ until it was too late.” She coughed. “Of course, most of the zombies don’t look so human now; the years have  _ not _ been kind to them.”

“You told us about the superheroes, but what about the villains?” Robin asked. “What happened to them?”

“Well, a decent amount of them survived the first two or three weeks since they didn’t care about saving anything but their own skins. But as far as I know, they didn’t survive much longer than that. They were probably overwhelmed by sheer numbers.” She paused, then went on. “Some are still alive, though, but, uh, most aren’t.” Selina looked like she wanted to say something more, but she only shook her head. “Anyway, as you can see, Bruce isn’t here. He said he doesn’t want to talk to you. Rude, huh?”

“He doesn’t want to  _ talk _ to us?” Robin said incredulously. 

“Yep. Said you could get your answers from me.”

“You’re making this up,” said Robin. “There’s no way--”

“Could you stop accusing me of lying?”

“Only if you stop lying.”

“Enough.” It was Slade who spoke. His nose had stopped bleeding, but his lower face was maroon with dried blood. He seemed to be the only one unperturbed by this fact. “Selina, did Bruce say anything else to you?”

“Nope. He’s in a  _ mood _ again.” Selina rolled her eyes. “So, Robin, if you want to cut the crap and let  _ me _ explain why we have a zombie in the house, feel free to let me know.”

“Tell me,” Robin said.

“Ah, ah, ah, what’s the magic word?”

_ “...Please,” _ ground out Robin.

“Okay,” said Selina. She took a deep breath and began. “During the third week of the apocalypse, our Robin literally stumbled into Wayne Manor. Bruce tried to ask him what happened, but Robin had already been bitten. His mind was going, so before he got violent Bruce locked him down in the holding area. He’s been there ever since. He doesn’t really do much these days, but during the first year...well, let’s just say I’m glad that soundproofing exists.”

“But  _ why _ is the zombie  _ still _ here?” Raven said.

“Like I said, Bruce really does have a hard time letting go. Besides that, Bruce still tries to run experiments on him sometimes. Test out possible cures, that sort of thing. Mr. Wayne is kinda hellbent on somehow finding or making one, even three years in.” Selina shrugged. “But Slade and I accepted a long time ago that there is no cure, no reversing what happened.”

“My people did the same,” said Starfire. “At first, our greatest minds attempted to create a cure for those who were bitten while still alive. They soon realized this was impossible. There is no curing a  _ Zakur’ugra.” _

“Wait, I’m sorry, what did you just say?” Selina asked. “A  _ what?” _

“A  _ Zakur’ugra. _ It is what we on my birth planet call the  _ zombies. _ In English, I believe it means _...ferocious corpse.” _

Slade leaned forward, a slight frown creasing his brow. “Would you tell us more about them? How did they arrive on your world?”

Starfire blinked. “They came from space, from far beyond my planetary system. It happened when I was barely old enough to wield the adult-sized mace. Without a doubt, the  _ Zakur’ugra _ are one of the most fearsome adversaries my people have ever faced. Many warriors gave their lives in the effort to repel the monstrosities away from Tamaran.” 

“But you succeeded? Your planet wasn’t overrun?” Selina asked. 

“Yes, Tamaran was saved thanks to the sacrifice of many of her people. As dangerous as the  _ Zakur’ugra _ were, their numbers were relatively few in comparison to ours. Before their invasion of Earth, they must have multiplied tenfold.”

“But the zombies didn’t come from space,” said Selina. “They couldn’t have. There must have been a Patient Zero zombie or...or  _ something. _ Starfire, are you  _ sure _ that the zombies and the  _ Zakur’ugra _ are the same thing?”

“I am  _ certain. _ I would recognize the abominations  _ anywhere.” _

“I gotta tell Bruce,” said Selina, jumping out of her seat next to Slade. “I mean, if I take your word on this, then holy _shit!_ _Alien zombies!_ Or zombie aliens. Who’da thought?” She ran off before anyone could say anything more. 

Slade sighed and wiped at the dried blood on his face. “As important as it is to keep Bruce informed, this will likely only intensify his obsession with his little experiment. Besides, the fact that the creatures’ origin is extraterrestrial does not change anything at this juncture. Earth is already dead.” He looked at Starfire. “Nonetheless, thank you for informing us. Your knowledge is greatly appreciated,” Slade said mildly. 

“Oh. You are welcome,” Starfire said, surprised. 

Robin, meanwhile, frowned darkly at Slade.  _ Don’t fall for it, Star. We still can’t trust anything he or Selina says. They’re  _ villains, _ for fuck’s sake. _

Before Robin’s thoughts could go further, someone called his name. “Huh?” He said, shaking his head.

“Richard,” said Alfred again. He arched an eyebrow at Robin.

“Oh, hi, Alfred. When did you get here?”

“Only a few moments ago. I wanted to alert you and your friends that dinner is ready.”

_ “Yes!” _ exclaimed Beast Boy and Cyborg, both leaping to their feet.

“It’s dinnertime already?” Robin said, bemused. “What are we having?”

“Black bean burgers,” enunciated Alfred, his accent lending an ostentatious air to the words. “I hope they are to your liking, though necessity dictated that the components of our meal have been in the freezer for quite some time.”

“I’m sure everything will be delicious...especially because all we’ve had to eat today were granola bars,” said Robin. He expected both of Alfred’s eyebrows to rise at this statement, and he was not disappointed.

“Well, then,” said Alfred. “Let us go to the kitchen. Mr. Wilson, will you be joining us?” He turned to look at Slade with a questioning tilt of his head.

“Perhaps later, Alfred.” Slade stood. “I believe I ought to wash my face before doing anything else.” He made a slight bow in Alfred’s direction and Alfred nodded in return.

“Until later then, Mr. Wilson,” said Alfred. “Titans, if you would follow me, I will direct you to the kitchen and dining area.”

  
  


*** 

 

Once the Titans had made their meals and were settled at the table, Alfred began assembling a tray of food at the counter. As he placed a water bottle on the tray, he said,

“I doubt Ms. Vargas will want to leave her room today. Thus, I will be taking dinner to her. Is there anything else you need before I depart, Titans?”

Everyone shook their heads. 

“Thank you Alfred, but I think we’re all good here,” said Robin, swallowing a bite of his burger.

“Very good then,” said Alfred as he departed for Angela’s quarters, tray in tow. 

It was quiet in the kitchen as the Titans ate, each one of them privately relieved to be alone with their team.

“These are really good,” said Beast Boy, his voice muffled by the burger in his mouth.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” said Raven and Cyborg. They looked at each other, then at Beast Boy, and all three laughed.

Starfire, sitting to Robin’s left, leaned towards him while the others talked.

“Friend Robin?”

“Yeah, Star? What’s up?” 

“Do...do you still wish for me to call you Robin? Or would you prefer me to call you “Richard?” I apologize for not asking earlier, but many things happened and--”

Robin cut her off. “Starfire, it’s okay. You don’t need to apologize.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “And, just keep calling me “Robin,” please.”  _ I’m not Richard, anyway...not this world’s Richard. _

Starfire brightened and nodded. “Then I shall continue to call you “Robin,” Robin!” She giggled.

Robin smiled at her and stabbed at a piece of canned pear on his plate. It really was a good meal.  _ Made even better by the fact that there are no villains enjoying it with us. Or bats. _

As the evening went on, the Titans stayed seated at the table and talked. It had been a full day, one that required an unofficial debriefing. Only when Starfire, Raven, Cyborg, and Beast Boy drifted away back to their quarters did each of them realize that neither Bruce, Selina, or Slade had ever come to dinner.

Robin stayed in the kitchen long after the others had left. He thought Alfred would have returned, but the wall clock now read 10:37 p.m. and there was still no sign of him.

“Must have gone to bed already,” muttered Robin. He yawned. “I guess it’s about time for me to do the same.”

As he slipped beneath the covers, he prayed that neither he or his teammates would have any nightmares.


	11. Chapter 11

For once, Robin’s prayers were answered. He woke up at eight a.m.--two hours later than usual--feeling well-rested and refreshed. After a quick trip to the bathroom, he pulled yesterday’s hoodie back on and meandered towards the kitchen. On the way, he took in the renovations the Batcave had undergone since he had lived above it. The kitchen and living quarters were new, of course, but the training area had been improved and expanded since he had last seen it. Everything was nice...for a zombie apocalypse.

When Robin stepped into the kitchen, he found Cyborg and Alfred seated at the table, drinking coffee and tea, respectively. 

“Mornin’, Rob,” said Cyborg. “I was just talking to Alfred about what kind of power I’d need to recharge my systems.” He yawned and stretched. “The human part of me slept great, but the ‘bot...not so much. How ‘bout you?”

“Pretty well, actually.”  _ No nightmares, for once in a blue moon. _

“I am pleased you were able to get a good rest, RIchard,” Alfred said. He took a sip of his tea before continuing. “Would you care for some breakfast? If you are still as fond of cereal as you were all those years ago, you can find boxes in the pantry.”

“Thanks, Alfred,” Robin said, getting a bowl and spoon. “Hey Cyborg, is there any coffee left?”

“Yep. Help yourself, man.”

Two minutes after Robin had sat down with his breakfast, Selina shuffled into the kitchen wearing a long purple nightgown, fuzzy white slippers, and a slightly crooked silk bonnet. She squinted at the trio at the table. “G’morning,” she grunted as she poured two cups of coffee.

“Uh...hi,” said Robin.

Selina nodded and shuffled back out the way she had come.

“Ms. Kyle is not a morning person,” Alfred deadpanned. 

“Yeah, I noticed,” said Cyborg.

“Why two mugs?” Robin asked.

“I presume one is for Master Bruce, though it would hardly be unusual for Ms. Kyle to drink both of them,” said Alfred.

“Drink both of what?” said Beast Boy, walking in the other doorway with Raven close behind him.

“Cups of coffee,” said Cyborg.

“Coffee?  _ Bleh!” _ Beast Boy stuck his tongue out. “I’ll stick to orange juice...I mean, if you’ve got any, that is.”

“It’s in the fridge,” said Robin. He winked at Alfred. “Beat you to it.”

“Indeed you did,” Alfred said, trying (and failing) to suppress his smile.

While Beast Boy poured himself a glass of orange juice, Raven busied herself at the teapot.  _ Everyone seems to be in a good mood today. I wonder how long it will last. _ The thought crept unbidden into her mind, and she shook her head in an attempt to get it out. 

“Good morning, my friends,” Starfire said as she floated into the kitchen. “Observe who has joined us for the breaking of fast!”

The Titans all turned to the entrance and beheld none other than Angela. Beast Boy nearly dropped his juice glass when he saw her.  _ She looks so different, _ he thought. It was true. Her dark hair shimmered in the overhead lights, and her amber-brown skin looked smooth and soft.

Angela had noticed Beast Boy looking at her. She laughed, a real, genuine laugh, and said quietly,

“You’d be amazed what a long shower and twelve hours of unconsciousness can do for a person.”

Starfire clapped her hands and smiled happily. “Oh, Angela, I am so glad you are feeling the better! Please, will you dine with us?”

“Um...sure,” said Angela. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and pulled at her hoodie. “Do you have, uh, cereal or anything?”

“It’s in the pantry,” said Robin and Alfred together.

“Thank you,” said Angela. She grabbed a box, a bowl, a spoon, and the milk and took the chair next to Alfred.

“A warning about the milk, Ms. Vargas. It  _ did _ come from powder, and as such it may have a taste to which you are not accustomed to,” Alfred said kindly.

“Heh. Well, powdered milk is better than no milk,” Angela said. “Which is what I’ve had, so…” She looked down at her bowl of cereal and stirred it with her spoon. She looked back up in surprise a moment later and said, “Is this...off-brand Lucky Charms?”

“Yes,” said Selina, appearing in the doorway fully dressed in her catsuit. “It’s my favorite. We’ve got, like, six more boxes of it stored in your room, along with a fuck-ton of canned food and other boxed junk. Try not to eat all the Pop-Tarts in bed, okay?”

“Uh...alright.” Angela took a bite and her eyes widened. “This...this is better than actual Lucky Charms. Oh my god.”

“I know, right?” Selina said, perching on the kitchen counter between the toaster and the refrigerator. “Whoa, kid, are you okay?”

Angela was crying, her tears falling into her cereal. “I-I-it’s just been a long time since I had m-milk with cereal.” She laughed waveringly, tilting her head back to the ceiling. “I’m s-so happy that I’m not dead.”

Alfred gently placed his hand on Angela’s shaking shoulder. “We, too, are glad that you are still amongst the living, Ms. Vargas.”

Angela wiped her eyes and nodded. “Thank you for saving me,” she said hoarsely.

“It’s what we do,” said Selina.

Robin felt like he was in the twilight zone. A civilian thanking a  _ villain _ for rescuing her? From  _ zombies, _ of all things? It was just too bizarre. 

“Speaking of  _ we _ …” said Selina, “Where the hell is Slade? We have things to do today.”

“Speak of the devil,” said Slade, stepping through the doorway. He was wearing his uniform as well.

“And he shall appear,” Selina hopped off the counter. “What’ve you been up to?”

“I’ve been attempting to fix the plane since five a.m., Selina.”

“Well? How’s it been going, then?”

“About as bad as you would expect. But it will fly.”

“What is wrong with the plane?” Starfire asked, interested.

“Nothing in particular, save for old age,” said Slade. “We don’t have many spare parts for it, so we make what we do have last.”

“One of these days we’re going to have to duct tape the engine together,” said Selina, only half-joking.

“Maybe…” Cyborg said before he could stop himself.

“Maybe what?” Selina said.

Cyborg looked nervously at Robin, who was giving him a death glare. “Uh, well, maybe I could, y’know, help you guys keep the plane in working condition? Since we’re here and all.”  _ Plus, it’s not like I’ll ever have another chance to actually poke around inside the Batplane. _

“Yeah, Cy’s great with cars! How different could planes be?” Beast Boy said.

“Cyborg also built a submarine that doubles as a spaceship,” said Raven.

“I’m convinced,” said Selina. “Slade, how about you?”

“...Very well,” Slade said. “He may help if he so desires. But it will have to wait until tomorrow.”

“Oh, yeah,” said Selina. “We’ve got a big day ahead of us, Titans. It’s time to go shopping!” She looked at them. “None of you seem as excited as I had hoped.”

“I just don’t...I don’t know where to start,” said Robin. “How are we supposed to go  _ shopping? _ What do you even  _ mean?” _

“I mean exactly what I said. We hit some stores, get groceries and some more clothes for you guys. Shopping.”

“You will understand when you arrive,” said Alfred. He seemed to be smiling slightly. “And have no fear, Richard--Master Bruce will not be joining you.”

“All right, fine. I guess we’re going shopping,” Robin said to the other Titans.

“Great! Titans, go get your uniforms on. Slade, grab the thingy. Angela, you come with me. I think we left your backpack in the Batplane, and you might want to put it somewhere else,” said Selina. “Everyone, meet me in the plane in...let’s say fifteen minutes.” With that, she was gone.

Angela ate a few more quick spoonfuls of cereal, then stood and went to put her bowl in the sink. “Um, I guess I’ll be going, then.” She slipped out of the kitchen after Selina. 

As the Titans headed back to their rooms to change, Alfred and Slade were left alone in the kitchen. 

“Ms. Vargas seems much improved today, does she not?” said Alfred.

“I suppose,” Slade said. “Still, there is something peculiar about her.”

Alfred frowned. “How do you mean? She appears to me an ordinary, if traumatized, young woman.”

“There is something in the way she looks at Selina and I…”

 

***

 

Fifteen minutes later, the Titans and company were settled in the Batplane. Selina was once again in the pilot’s chair; near Selina (to the Titans surprise) was Angela, who sat on the floor rifling through her backpack. Raven and Starfire were meditating in the back of the plane while Beast Boy took an early-morning nap as an owl. Cyborg had reclaimed his chair from the previous flight, while Robin and Slade had taken the other two. Slade had boarded the plane carrying a shiny metal case that emitted an odd chill and placed it under his chair before he sat down.

“So, what’s in that thing?” Cyborg asked, pointing to the case.

“A souvenir.”

“Thanks, that’s  _ real _ enlightening,” said Cyborg with a roll of his eyes.

“It’s from Mr. Freeze,” said Robin. “Probably one of his old freeze rays. I can feel the cold radiating off of it from here.” 

“Yes, this did belong to Freeze at one point,” Slade said. “As I am sure Robin knows, Batman’s early career in Gotham City was fraught with ice. When he first managed to apprehend Freeze, this was the machine the man had on him.”

“Wow,” said Robin, impressed in spite of himself. “Now that i think of it, I’m pretty sure I remember the gun that’s locked up in there.”  _ Bruce showed it to me when I told him I wanted to fight crime. He told me how dangerous it was, but compared to some of Freeze’s other tricks, that thing’s just a glorified ice maker. _

“Yeah, Bruce has had that particular trophy for a long time,” said Selina as she banked left. “Damn, these windows are never going to be clean again. Stupid smog.”

“Smog?” said Cyborg. “What smog?”

“During “Year One,” it was smoggy almost every day, at least in Gotham and Metropolis. The smog was this dense grey stuff, and it got onto and into everything. Super weird...and nasty,” added Selina. “It didn’t hurt to breathe it in, thank god, but it stained all the buildings grey. I still think that that smog killed all the trees and plants, but no humans died from it, as far as I know.”

“It affected the atmosphere,” Angela said quietly. “The weather was never the same after the smog. There’s no more sun or cloudless days, and it hardly ever rains now.”

“So the smog was everywhere, then?” Selina said to Angela.

“I think so, yes. I mean, what you said happened in Gotham happened in Jump City, too, so…”

“For all we know, the whole world was covered with it. Lovely,” said Selina. “I’m so glad we live in such a wonderful, healthy environment.”

Starfire floated over. “Friend Angela, were you living in Jump City for three years before we found you?” Starfire winced. “Oh, pardon me. You told me not to be calling you “friend.””

“It...it’s okay. Selina explained that you’re not this world’s Starfire. While it was kind of confusing, I understand now that none of this was your fault.” Angela looked at her lap. “Sorry for yelling at you yesterday.”

Starfire landed next to Angela, who shied away only by a few inches. “It is okay, friend Angela. On my birthworld, my people would yell quite often in order to express strong emotions. I believe you had much emotion to express yesterday.”

Angela smiled and rubbed the back of her neck. “I guess so.” She readjusted her hoodie and said, “So, you asked where I lived before yesterday.”

“Yes, I am most interested to know.”

“Oh. Well, um, I lived in the huge gated subdivision just outside of Jump. You know, the one that’s next to that forest? The one that almost burned down one year?”

Starfire blinked. “Friends, is that not the same forest where we did battle with the fire monster?”

“The monster that Slade tricked Thunder and Lightning into making? Yeah, that’s the same forest,” said Cyborg.  _ Still don’t know what the point of all that was...I guess we could just ask… _

But Angela had already moved on. “The subdivision was okay, all things considered. There were only seventeen people in it, including me and--and my dad.” She pulled at her earlobe. “All those houses, and nobody to live in them. There was probably one person for every ten houses.” Angela shook her head sadly, then continued. “I ended up in that subdivision by pure luck. My friend Mike Johnson lived there with his brother, Zach, and their uncle. Mike and I were home from college for the weekend, and I was hanging out at his place. 

“We heard the first reports of people coming back from the dead late Saturday afternoon. It was almost instant chaos. I remember calling my dad to get over to the Johnson’s as quickly as he could. I just  _ knew _ that something was wrong, that it wasn’t some kind of miracle.” She laughed roughly. “I guess I was right.”

“Sorry to interrupt,” said Selina, “But we’re going to be landing soon, so you all might want to get ready.”

“Get ready for what, exactly?” Raven said from the back of the plane.

“For fun!” Selina said. When Raven didn’t return her smile, Selina huffed. “Don’t you like having fun?”

“No,” Raven said, expressionless.

“Well, damn!” Selina threw her hands up in the air. Angela snickered while Slade shook his head and put his mask on.

A few minutes later, the plane was on the ground.

“All set?” Robin asked his team. The Titans nodded; Beast Boy, human again, gave a thumbs-up.

Together, the Titans, the villains, and Angela exited the Batplane.


	12. Chapter 12

As the group exited the plane, Robin’s attention was caught not by the churning grey sky above or the rusted hulks of cars in the parking lot behind, but by the large building in front of him.

“Why, said Robin, “Are we at Gotham Sporting Goods?” 

Selina blinked. “C’mon, Bird Boy, I thought I got this concept through your skull already.” She jogged to the boarded-up double doors. “We are  _ shopping. _ S-h-o-p-p-i-n-g.” Selina pulled at the left door’s handle and it swung open. “Zombies are too dumb to realize that the boards aren’t nailed together,” she said by way of explanation. “Come on in and grab a duffel bag.”

Cyborg and Beast Boy looked at each other, shrugged, and walked through the open door. Starfire wasn’t far behind them, flying gracefully past Selina with a polite “thank you.” Angela went next, and so only Robin, Raven, and the two villains remained outside.

“Slade, do you need anything from in here?” Selina asked. When the man shook his head, Selina said, “Then keep an eye out for any unfriendly--and undead--faces.” 

“I sincerely hope you did not mean to make that pun,” said Slade. 

“What pu-- _ Oh, _ ” said Selina. “Heh heh. Please forget  _ eye _ said that.”

Robin groaned.  _ This is too much. Everything is just too damn much. _ He walked through the door, hoping Beast Boy and Cyborg weren’t making any sports-related puns. He didn’t think he would be able to handle it if they were.

Raven followed him, the icy wind nearly blowing her hood down. Selina tipped a wink at Slade and swung the door closed behind herself. 

Slade leaned against the cold wall and studied the swirling sky.  _ How interesting. Perhaps it will rain. _ He sounded sarcastic even to himself, and decided to think of other things.

 

***

 

Angela was pointing a dented flashlight at the pile of duffel bags while Beast Boy poked through them when Selina entered the dim store.

“Dude, what are these for?” Beast Boy asked.

“They’re your shopping bags,” said Selina. “There’s plenty of clothes here, both for lounging around the Batcave and to supplement your uniforms with, so stuff your bags full.”

“Isn’t that considered stealing?” Robin said. He did not look happy.

“Who are we stealing from?” Selina scoffed. “Whoever owned this store is long dead.”

Robin didn’t have a response to that. He picked up a duffel bag and slung it over his shoulder, perhaps a bit too aggressive about it. The other Titans followed his lead, albit less belligerently. 

“If your uniform exposes any skin, I’d advise grabbing some clothes that cover it. The harder it is for a zombie to bite you, the better,” said Selina. “Also pick up something that covers your eyes, nose, and/or mouth. Zombie fluids are not fun, and they’ll turn you just like a bite would.”

“So, like, swim goggles or a paintball mask?” asked Angela.

“Yeah, you’ve got the right idea,” Selina said. “Plus, paintball masks make you look bad-ass.”

Now that everyone had a bag, the group paired off and went their own ways. Raven and Starfire went in search of leggings, while Beast Boy and Cyborg (with the latter’s built-in flashlight on and bright) perused the goggle section. Selina had gone with Angela to check out the paintball gear. Robin had sighed and headed over to the men’s athletic wear. All he really needed were clothes to wear around and train in, after all. He didn’t want to take much; it still felt wrong to him.

“Dude!” Came Beast Boy’s shout from a few aisles away. “I need underwear!

Robin chuckled.  _ Guess I need that too. _

Then, from a distance, Selina’s voice: “They have that here!”

“But I don’t want weird sports underwear,” Beast Boy wailed.

“Too bad,” said three voices. Selina, Cyborg, and Raven had all spoken together.

Perhaps ten minutes later, Cyborg and Beast Boy had joined Robin in the men’s section. Beast Boy was sorting through the sweatpants when he let out a cry.

“What’s wrong,” Robin demanded, his hand already around a birdarang.

“Whoa, whoa, calm down, dude!” Beast Boy yelped. “Just look at what I found.” He held up a pair of bright purple sweatpants.

Robin shoved the birdarang back in his utility belt with a curse. “Beast Boy, I thought something was really wrong.”

“Oh,” said Beast Boy, looking sheepish. “Sorry, Robin.”

“It’s okay. Just please don’t scare me like that again.”

“Everything all right?” Selina said, stepping around the corner with the rest of the girls close behind her. Angela was holding a new aluminum baseball bat and looked ready to swing it.

“Yeah, we’re fine,” Cyborg said. “Beast Boy just--”

“Hey, wow, nice pants,” Selina said laughingly. “Those must be some of the last purple sweatpants in existence.”

Cyborg and Robin sighed while Beast Boy grinned and waggled his eyebrows at Raven and Starfire.

“I hope those are for you,” said Raven. 

Beast Boy stuffed the pants into his green duffel bag. “Hell yeah they are. These babies are mine and mine alone.”

“Good,” said Raven tonelessly. 

“So,” said Selina. “Does everyone have everything they need?”

“Yes,” chorused the Titans.

“I don’t have any socks!” gasped Angela.

Selina laughed. “Did anyone  _ else _ forget about socks?”

Slowly, all of the Titans save Cyborg raised their hands.

“Honestly, teenagers and clothes,” said Selina. “Well, to the sock aisle, everyone, and then we’re out of here.”

As they walked, Starfire asked Selina,

“What did Mr. Wayne say when you told him about the origins of the  _ Zakur’ugra _ ?”

Selina shook her head. “He just brushed it off. Basicly said the whole idea was B.S., although in a much more proper manner.”

“But why?” Raven said.

_ “Hell _ if I know.  _ God, _ he gets on my nerves sometimes. Thinks he’s always right, and he acts so  _ secretive _ .” Selina tugged angrily at her glove. “Meanwhile, he knows everything about me and Slade.”

They had arrived at the sock department. The Titans and Angela grabbed packs of socks while Selina berated Bruce Wayne. By the time they had put what they wanted in their bags, Selina was done with her rant.

“Um, anyway,” said Selina. “Did any of you see the tanktops? I can never remember where they are, and I wanted to grab one or two for Slade. I swear he doesn’t have a single one. It’s--what the hell was that?”

“What the hell was what?” Beast Boy said, looking around in confusion.

“I thought I heard something,” said Selina. She rubbed her arms. “I guess I’m just jumpy. Anyway, we were talking about tanktops, yeah?”

“Uh, yeah,” said Cyborg.  _ Man, now I’m nervous. Big empty stores can really put you on edge, I guess. _

“I believe the tanktops can be found a few of the aisles to the right,” said Starfire.

“Great,” said Selina. “Let’s get them and get out before it gets any darker in here.”

She took a few steps, then stopped. “God, I thought I heard that noise again.”

“Yeah,” said Robin, “I heard it too. It sounded like tapping, like...footsteps.”

“Oh, hell,” whispered Selina. “Is there a zombie in here?”

“How could one have gotten in?” Raven said quietly.

“Pretty damn easily if it killed Slade,” Selina hissed. “The man’s not  _ invincible.” _

Silently, Beast Boy morphed into a bloodhound and sniffed the air. He became human again a moment later with a strange expression on his face, but he shook his head:  _ not a zombie. _

“It sounded close,” Robin mouthed. Selina nodded and gestured for everyone to follow her-- _ quietly. _

“Is this really the best idea?” Raven murmured. When no one responded, she had to hold back a sigh.

As the group crept towards the source of the tapping, it stopped. Then the singing began.

_ “Don we now our gay apparel, fa-la-la la-la-la la-la-la!” _ The voice sang the same line over and over, with varying amounts of  _ la _ ’s each time. 

Selina turned to look at the Titans. _ “What. The. Actual. Fuck.” _ she mouthed. They could only stare at her.  _ I feel like I’m in Scooby-Doo, _ Selina thought disjointedly. 

“On the count of three, we all jump out,” Robin mouthed. “Angela, you stay hidden.”

“If something goes wrong, run and get Slade...or just run, if he’s dead.,” Selina whispered, her mouth only centimeters from Angela’s ear. Angela nodded. 

Robin held a hand up and began counting. “One...two... _ three!” _

The Titans and Selina leapt out from behind the shelf, weapons and powers at the ready.

Standing in front of the shelves containing the tanktops was a tall, grey-skinned figure wearing a strange black uniform. The figure turned and smiled sharply at the frozen Titans before vanishing into thin air.

_ “What the fuck!” _ Selina screeched. She ran over to where the being had been only seconds ago. “Did you just fucking  _ see _ that?”

Beast Boy was yelling, too. “What the hell! Dudes, what the hell was that fucking thing?”

Starfire said something, but she was drowned out by Selina saying,

“It’s time to go. It is time to leave this goddamn store right the fuck now.” She turned and headed for the door. “Angela, we’re leaving. Titans, grab your bags; we are  _ not _ coming back here for a  _ long _ while.”

 

***

 

Selina burst through the doors into the slightly fresher air and nearly slammed into Slade, who had evidently been pacing left and right in front of the store.

“Teleporting zombie!” she spat before Slade could get a word out. “That’s the only thing it could have been! It looked dead and it--fucking--teleported!” She continued her swift march towards the plane, leaving Slade to tilt his head questioningly at the Titans.

“It’s pretty much what Selina said,” Robin said, walking after the woman in question.

“How is he so calm about this?” Angela whispered. She was shaking and still clutched her baseball bat in her bony hands.

Starfire placed a hand on Angela’s shoulder. “Robin is very brave, friend Angela. He has dealt with many strange and frightening events that have helped him to become who he is today.”

“B-but that’s not the point! If zombies can teleport now, what’s to stop them from popping right into the Batcave?”

“Mr. Wayne has several devices in place to prevent teleportation into or out of the Cave,” Slade said. “He walks the fine line between  _ paranoid _ and  _ prepared. _ ”

“How can you be sure they’re still working?” Beast Boy asked skeptically. 

Slade seemed to smile behind his mask. “By the simple fact that none of our adversaries have yet to enter the Cave,” he said softly.

“Additionally, I have never seen a teleporting  _ Zakur’ugra _ before,” said Starfire. “Perhaps there is only one.”

“Star, did you recognize what it was wearing? That suit looked kinda familiar to me, but I don’t know why…” Cyborg said.

“I believe many of the  _ Zakur’ugra _ that attempted to invade Tamaran wore similar uniforms,” said Starfire. “However, I do not recognize it past that.”

“So, was this thing, like, a head honcho  _ Zakur’ugra _ or something?” Beast Boy said. “It’s not like we’ve seen anything even remotely similar to it. Everything else is just your garden-variety brain-eating zombie.”  _ And that thing did _ not  _ smell like a normal zombie. _

Angela and Slade seemed about to speak, but they were interrupted by the Batplane’s crackling speaker.

“Hurry up and get in here, or I’m leaving all of you behind,” said Selina’s static-filled voice.

“No you aren’t,” said Robin, his voice equally as distorted.

“Honestly, Bird Boy, can’t you take a joke?” Selina said, cutting off the speaker before the Titans had a chance to hear Robin’s response.

“Let’s go,” said Raven. She picked her duffel bag up with her magic and walked it to the plane. Starfire and Angela were next to follow her, leaving Cyborg and Beast Boy standing uncomfortably with Slade.

“C’mon, BB, we better get on that plane before our flight leaves without us,” Cyborg said, trying to push Beast Boy along.

“Can’t we leave  _ him _ here?” said Beast Boy, gesturing to Slade.

“Kid, you can  _ try, _ ” came Selina’s voice.

“How did she even  _ hear _ that?” complained Beast Boy.

 

***

 

“Now that everyone’s on board, it’s grocery-shopping time!” Selina said. She tried to sound upbeat, but inwardly she was still shaken; her hands tremored as she flipped switches.

_ “More _ shopping?” groaned Beast Boy. “What do you even  _ need?” _

“Well, most of it isn’t for us. It’s, um, kind of a long story, and the grocery place isn’t that far, so…” Selina trailed off.  _ Stupid zombie freak. I can’t get what happened out of my head--how the hell did it teleport? _   “...I’ll explain later.”

“Why do you always evade our questions?” Robin said, a scowl wrinkling his mask.

“Why do  _ you _ have to  _ ask _ so many questions? Just go with it, Titans,” said Selina. She gave her chair a spin and tried to smile at the group of teenagers as she flew past them.

“Hey, speakin’ of questions, is there somewhere we can put our bags that isn’t our laps? It’s a little uncomfortable,” said Cyborg.

“Don’t they fit under your chairs?” Selina said as her own chair slowed its rotations.

“Not really,” said Raven.

“Well, if Slade moved all of the junk out of that compartment like I asked him to…” Selina said as she turned on the plane’s autopilot and stood up.

“I did,” Slade said. “However, there was one item which I decided to leave inside.”

Selina’s eyes grew wide. “You’ve still got that thing in there? Thank god. Now’s the time to use it, what with that teleporting zombie and all.” She nudged Angela with the tip of her boot. “Could you scooch a bit to your left? You’re sitting on the hatch.”

“Oh! Sorry,” said Angela, doing as she was asked.

“No problem,” Selina said as she knelt down on the floor and began poking at the faint outline of the hatch. “This damn thing only opens when you push down on the right places. Added security courtesy of the Batman.” Selina huffed and, after a few more jabs, popped the hatch open. “Slade, if you would be as so kind.”

As Selina moved back into the pilot’s chair, Slade took her place by the compartment. The Titans and Angela leaned forward as he reached in and pulled out a long object wrapped in dark blue cloth. Slade unwound the cloth slowly, perhaps enjoying the almost-tangible suspense in the air. As the cloth fell to the ground, the Titans saw that what had been wrapped within was a midnight-black scabbard. Slade grasped the protruding bronze hilt of the sword within and carefully unsheathed it with a sound like ice. The blade glittered a cruel, dark silver as it was revealed to the hypnotized Titans.

_ “Whoa,” _ Robin breathed, unable to help himself.

“It is beautiful,” said Starfire.  _ Such a weapon could impress even the eldest Tamaranean warrior. _ “Where did you acquire a sword so fierce?”

“I won it many years ago,” said Slade as he re-sheathed the sword.

“In a fight?” Beast Boy said. He could imagine the villain in front of him locked in combat with a shadowy adversary,  _ bo _ staff versus sword. As much as he hated to admit it, the idea of Slade fighting someone who wasn’t a Titan was actually pretty cool.  _ Just like when we fought Trigon together. _

“A fight? No,” said Slade. “I won it in a game of cards.”

“Wha--” said Beast Beast Boy, his jaw dropping. “You’ve gotta be kidding.”

“Who bets their  _ sword _ in a card game?” Raven said.

Slade adjusted the strap of the scabbard. “Only fools and dead men.”

“At any rate, I’m glad he has it,” said Selina from the front of the plane. “That sword has saved our lives on more than one occasion. Also, I’m going to be landing this hunk of junk soon, so hang on to something.”

As Selina flipped switches, Angela asked,

“Does it have a name? The sword?”

Slade nodded. “It’s previous owner informed me that, translated from his ancestors’ language, the sword is called Deathstroke.”

Robin had to admit, it was a fitting name. Then something occurred to him. “Not that I’m complaining, but why did you never use this sword when you fought us?” he asked.

Slade looked up at the Titan and Robin felt all his old fear suddenly encircle his heart. He knew that Slade was smiling behind his mask.

Slade laughed softly and said, “Overkill.”


	13. Chapter 13

Slade, with his sword sheathed on his back and the silver case in his hand, led the way off the plane with Angela close behind him, still staring at Deathstroke.

“This shouldn’t take too long,” Selina said to the Titans as they filed out of the Batplane. “If there’s anything you want that you think we don’t have back at the Cave, go ahead and grab it. Though if it’s in the refrigerated section, you’ll have to let me know so I can get it for you.”

“Selina?” Starfire said. “I hope you do not mind if I ask you the question.”

“Go ahead, kid.”

Starfire took a deep breath. “Why are you and Slade being so...so  _ nice _ to us? Truly, I am relieved that we have not had to fight each other, but you are being so  _ accommodating, _ and…”

“And it’s weird, right? I know how you feel. Alfred treated me and Slade so kindly when we, uh, moved into the Batcave, and it really threw me off guard. But look,” said Selina, turning to face Starfire. “We  _ have _ to get along to survive out here. It’s hard for me, sometimes; I’m used to being pretty abrasive, and three years in, I still don’t think any of us have let our walls down fully with each other. But I feel more like myself now than I did three years ago, if that makes any sense. I don’t have to put on an act when I put on my catsuit anymore, and I don’t have to be “sexy socialite Selina Kyle” either. I can talk shit and laugh and wear ugly sweaters if I want to. I don’t have to limp back to my apartment covered in bruises with only a few jewels to show for it anymore. All masks are off, and I’ve never felt so free.”

A long moment of silence, and then…

“Sorry, was that T.M.I.?” Selina cleared her throat. “I, uh, guess I got carried away there. But, you know what they say: “The more you know.”” She tried to sing the last part and only partially succeeded. “Anyway, let’s get inside the store.” Selina turned and walked down the ramp before the Titans could stop her.

“Let’s...let’s just go,” said Robin.  _ I didn’t want to know any of that, _ he thought.  _ We’re not supposed to be able to sympathize with villains. _ He jogged down the ramp and across the parking lot, leaving his team to follow him.

 

***

 

Inside the grocery store, the Titans found more duffel bags awaiting them. Angela had already slung one over her shoulder and was now watching Slade shift the silver case from hand to hand. Raven saw that a thin layer of frost had formed over the case, and she wondered what exactly the device within was going to be used for. 

It seemed that Selina read Raven’s mind, as she said,

“C’mon, kids, let’s make some magic. To the produce section!”

As the group walked deeper into the store, Beast Boy shivered. “Dude, why is so cold in here? I feel like I’m standing in a freezer.”

“Well, you kinda are,” Selina said with a mischievous grin. “Take a look.”

They had reached the produce section. Cyborg expected to see barren shelves and the sad, dusty remnants of once-fresh fruits and vegetables, but he instead saw ice. The entire section was covered with massive, irregular blocks of the stuff, and chilly air swept over the Titans as they stood and gawked at the winter wonderland.

“What the--?” Cyborg said when he had picked his jaw up from the floor.

“Neat, right?” said Selina. “It’s been like this for three years and it’s barely melted. I swear, I could hug Mr. Freeze.”

“I have a lot of questions,” said Robin, bewildered.

“Don’t even start,” said Selina. “Just watch. Slade, hand me the case, please.” Selina carefully took the case from Slade’s hands and popped it open. Inside, resting in black foam, was a strange gun, white as snow and twice as cold. 

“Now, I should probably be wearing mittens when I handle this thing,” said Selina, “but I think I’ll be okay.” She cautiously extracted the gun from its case and aimed it at a display of what might have been apples--it was difficult to tell, what with all the ice.

“Fun fact about this freeze ray: it’s the only one that has a “melt” setting,” Selina said, pulling the trigger.

The display instantly began to defrost as Selina held the trigger down. Now Robin could feel a faint heat radiating off the gun, rather than that unholy chill he had felt in the Batplane. Squinting, Robin could also see a dim ray of pinkish light emanating from the barrel of the gun along with the warmth. He figured that the light would have been blue if Selina was using the “freeze” setting.

“Tah-dah,” said Selina as she released the trigger. The top quarter of the display had been freed from the ice, and Beast Boy saw that it really did contain apples.

“Try one,” Selina said as she tossed an apple to Beast Boy, who barely managed to catch the flying fruit before it hit the the floor.

Beast Boy looked at the apple, then at Selina, then back to the apple. He brought it to his mouth and took a small, hesitant bite. Beast Boy rocked back in surprise as the flavor hit his taste buds.

“It’s good,” he said. “Tastes totally normal, dudes.” He saw his team relax, and Beast Boy crunched once more into the apple.

“So, yeah, this is pretty much how we still have food,” said Selina. “But we have to defrost sparingly: after all, there are only so many stores like this.”

“But how did the stores even get like this in the first place?” Robin asked before Selina could stop him.

“Well, you have Batman to thank for that,” Selina said, gesturing Beast Boy over to her. “Him and Mr. Freeze, that is.” Selina opened Beast Boy’s duffel bag and began placing apples inside it. “Apparently Freeze owed Batman a favor, and Bats called that favor in just in time for the end of the world.” When Selina had put about fifteen apples in the bag, she refroze the display and moved on to the oranges.

_ “Freeze _ owed Batman a favor? That’s...pretty weird,” said Robin, arching an eyebrow.

“It’s the truth, Boy Wonder. Of course, Bruce never elected to share with us the details of  _ why _ exactly Freeze owed him one, but hey, if it means we have fresh fruit, I’m not complaining.” Selina piled oranges in Beast Boy’s bag as she spoke, then iced the display.

The group moved on to the aisles of frozen food, which (as the Titans had predicted) were encased in ice.

“Uh, do you guys want anything in particular out of here?” Selina said, yanking open a door and peering in at the block of ice. “I think there are microwavable dinners and crap in this one.”

“Pizza,” said the Titans in perfect unison. Angela giggled at Selina’s surprised expression.

“Ooo-kay then,” said Selina. “Pizza it is. Cyborg, could you lend me your bag, please?”

As Selina defrosted the case, Angela said, “Where did Slade go?”

The Titans looked around and realized that the man had, in fact, disappeared.

“He’s probably a few aisles down in the alcohol section,” said Selina. “I told him earlier this morning that the Cave is running low on vodka and asked him to grab some for me.”

“Speakin’ of villains disappearing, where were you two last night at dinner?” Cyborg asked, suddenly remembering their odd absence. 

“Hm? Oh, we were having an orgy with Bruce,” said Selina as she put boxes of pizza into Cyborg’s bag.

As the Titans stared open-mouthed at Selina, there came tremendous  _ crash _ from a few aisles away. Selina broke out into maniacal laughter at both the sound and the Titans’ horrified expressions.

“Oh, oh my  _ god, _ I got you  _ good, _ ” Selina said in between wheezing laughs. “The look on your faces...ah,  _ priceless. _ ”

_ “Selina,” _ came Slade’s voice, and Selina laughed even harder.

“S-sorry, Titans, but it was too good an opportunity to pass up. Ah, holy shit, that was too damn funny,” Selina said as she wiped a tear from her eye. “You drop a bottle over there, Slade?”

“Two, actually,” said Slade, rounding the corner into the aisle. “And I would appreciate it if you did not tell the Titans such outrageous lies, Ms. Kyle.”

“Oh, don’t be such a spoilsport,” Selina said, punching Slade lightly on the arm. She winked at him. “You gotta admit, it was kinda hilarious.”

Slade only shook his head and handed Selina a large bottle of vodka, which she put into Raven’s duffel bag.

The rest of the shopping went smoothly, Selina using the freeze ray to extract vegetables and more cook-at-home items, and the Titans carrying them in their duffel bags. The group stopped by the registers on the way out, allowing the Titans to grab gum and candy bars and shove them into their bags. Robin sighed as he picked up a packet of beef jerky, still not liking the feeling of theft that pervaded the atmosphere.

“Hey, does anyone want any cigarettes?” Selina asked. “Hell, do any of you even smoke?”

All of the Titans shook their heads, but Angela grabbed a pack and stuffed it into her duffel bag.

“My dad smoked this brand,” she said by way of explanation. “I figured I’d honor him by keeping it on me.”

Selina gave the other woman a soft smile and said, “That’s very sweet of you, Angela.”

“T-thank you,” Angela blushed. “It’s the least I can do, really. Oh, Slade, did you want a pack of these?”

Robin turned to look at Slade, who was holding a carton of Angela’s cigarettes and seemed strangely distracted.

“No, Ms. Vargas. I have no need of them,” he said softly. “It does, however, appear that our fathers had similar tastes when it came to tobacco.”

“Really?” said Angela. “Your dad smoked these, too? That’s kinda funny!”

“Yes, I suppose it is,” Slade said, rubbing his arm. 

“So, is everyone ready to go?” Selina asked. When everyone nodded, Selina led the way to the exit, and the little group followed.

  
  


***

  
  
  


“Oh  _ shit _ ,” Selina said as she and the others stepped through the doorway.

In front of them was a massive horde of zombies. There were at the very least two hundred rotten bodies arrayed in a rough semicircle, which formed an extremely effective barrier between the Titans and the Batplane. 

“Why aren’t they attacking?” said Raven quietly, barely managing to maintain her monotone. She felt her knees shaking and could not stop them; Fear was coursing through her body like a flame through a forest.

“I don’t know,” said Selina. “It’s like they’re  _ waiting  _ for something.”

It was then that the zombie nearest to the little group staggered closer and held up a twisted hand. Before anyone could attack it, the zombie gestured them forwards--into the semicircle.

“What do you think we are, insane?” Selina sneered at the once-human creature in front of her. But as the zombie gestured more violently, Selina looked nervously over her shoulder at the Titans and Slade.

“What other option do we have?” Slade said calmly. “We cannot hope to fight our way through them.”

Starfire extinguished her half-formed starbolt. The villain was right; there was no possibility of the eight of them forcing their way through the monsters. _ Perhaps if we were all Tamaraneans, we would have a chance, however slight, _ she thought.  _ Or if Wonder Woman and the Batman were here. They would have a plan. _

“Fine, let’s just walk into the  _ obvious trap, _ ” said Robin. “I mean, what have we got to lose? Other than our fucking  _ lives _ , of course.” He laughed harshly, trying to hide his fear.  _ If something happens to one of my teammates, I think I’ll go crazy. _

Behind Robin, Angela was shivering. “I can’t go in there. I can’t be surrounded by those  _ things _ again,” she whispered. “Please, isn’t there anything else we can do?”

“I’m sorry, Angela, but I don’t think there is,” said Cyborg, placing a hand on the woman’s thin shoulder.  _ There’s no way out. There’s just no way out of this. _

“We’ll protect you, Angela,” Beast Boy said. “I promise.”

“Well then,” said Selina. “Let’s get a move on, shall we?”

She led the way forward, back straight and eyes set upon the Batplane, feeling as though she was walking into her own execution. The others followed her, Angela holding Cyborg’s hand and the silver case tightly. Slade had one hand on the hilt of his sword, while Robin gripped several birdarangs. Starfire’s eyes glowed a furious green.

When the semicircle closed in around them and the zombies lunged forward, no one was fast enough to stop the attack.

_ “No,” _ screamed Angela. “ No no no! Let go of me!  _ Let me go!” _

“Angela!” cried Cyborg as the two were forced apart. He felt dead hands scratching over his metal exterior like nails on chalkboard and desperately tried to shake them off. Twisting around, he saw the the rest of the Titans had already been swarmed by the zombies and had been forced to their knees. As he too stumbled to the ground, he realized that no one had been bitten, though zombies with open mouths hovered dangerously close to exposed flesh. 

Selina was panicking. She could feel her heart beating far too fast and her vision had gone blurry. Held on her knees, she could no longer move without being bitten by the boil-faced zombie that had pressed itself close to her left side. “Help,” she croaked. “Slade...Titans…” Then Selina heard him.

_ “Get off of me,” _ hissed Slade, his silvery voice still distinctive even in the surrounding chaos. 

Selina tore her gaze over to where she had last spotted the other villain and smiled fiercely at what she saw. Slade had drawn his sword and broken free of the zombies’ grasp; he was now making quick work of anything that dared to attack him. As she watched, Slade slashed at a broad-shouldered zombie and cut it’s forearms neatly off. The zombie reeled back, howling, until Slade took its head off.

Before any other zombies could step over their fallen comrade to attack, a new voice echoed throughout the parking lot.

“Oh, that’s enough of that. If it’s a  _ fight _ they want,  _ let _ them have a fight.” The voice’s owner laughed, sing-song, and Selina realized who--or  _ what _ \--it belonged to.

“You teleporting bastard,” Selina spat. “What are you?  _ Who _ are you?”

“Ah, do I hear the mewling of a little kitty cat? How  _ cute!” _ The voice giggled. “However, I’m a bit more interested in your friend with the sword over there.  _ He’s  _ quite... _ impressive.” _

“‘I’m flattered,” said Slade, stepping away from the now-motionless horde. He flicked blood off of his sword and surveyed the surrounding buildings. “Though may I ask the name of my admirer?” 

“Perhaps another time,” sighed the voice. “If you survive this particular encounter, that is.” The voice laughed again as the zombies began to form a pathway. “Best of luck, darling!”

“ _ What _ did you just call me?” Slade said. He sounded surprised.

The voice did not answer, but the zombies--all two hundred and some of them--let out a sound like laughter. Starfire felt her skin crawl.

Then she saw what was lumbering down the path the  _ zombies _ had made and her heart nearly stopped. She turned her head just enough to see Robin, nearly crying out when she saw the expression on his face.

Robin’s mind was reeling.  _ There’s no way...it can’t be him...it can’t be Bane. _

But as the massive zombie entered the clearing at the center of the circle, Robin realized that there was no one else it could have been. The mask, the tubes that carried that infamous Venom, and the zombie’s stature--they were all the marks of Bane.

The horde, too, was on the move. The zombies pressed closer together, making an arena out of the center of the circle. When Bane lifted his arms, the horde let out a collective roar.

Raven cringed into her cape at the noise. There was too much going on, too many sounds and smells and emotions. She fought to keep control of her powers; there was a very real possibility of one of her teammates getting hurt if she lost her hold on her abilities.

Selina, meanwhile, was looking from Bane to Slade and back again, trying to comprehend what was about to happen.  _ Slade and Bane are supposed to...fight? One on one? Fucking hell. _

“And we’re going to be forced to watch,” Selina realized, horrified. She struggled against the zombies’ hold and received an undead elbow to her back for the trouble. As she slumped in her captor’s grasp, Selina heard the creature that once was Bane say one word:

_ “Begin.” _

  
  
  


***

  
  


Slade had accepted the fact that he was going to die many years ago. He had  _ already _ died once, in the fiasco with Terra, through his alliance with Trigon had ended up making that death more of a temporary condition rather than anything permanent. But a proper,  _ eternal _ death? The cessation of consciousness? The erasure of the man known as Slade Wilson? Oh yes, he had been preparing for that since the day he first donned his mask, and he did not fear it.

Still, that did not mean he wanted to die. In fact, he very much did  _ not _ want to die at the hands of a zombie--nor be turned into one of them. He was more than ready to put an incendiary bullet through his own head to escape that particular fate. He and Selina had made a promise on that front: if either one of them was turned and was unable to shoot themself, the other would put them down. 

_ But I doubt that will be necessary today, _ thought Slade. He adjusted his hold on his sword and smiled coldly beneath his mask. 

  
  
  
  


***

  
  


Robin watched, helpless, as Bane and Slade circled each other. Neither one seemed willing to make the first move, but Robin knew what Slade was really doing: studying his enemy, scanning for weaknesses. Waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

But Bane struck first. Without any warning, he swung a fist forward, towards Slade’s face. Slade dodged the blow easily. He leapt back, his eye narrowing.

“Hmm,” Slade said slowly. “Death has not been kind to you, has it, Bane?”

Bane’s only response was a deep, dog-like growl.

“Try a little harder to hit me, won’t you?” Slade said mockingly as he raised his sword.

Seemingly incensed by Slade’s taunt, Bane charged at his adversary. Slade leapt out of the way, slashing at Bane with his sword as he did. It bit deep into Bane’s right side and Bane bellowed as rotten blood poured from the wound.

“Do you feel pain?” Slade asked, his voice low and dangerous. “Or is it simply because I have hit you that you react so?” He took another step back as Bane swung at him again. “You can do better than that,” Slade said, contempt dripping from every word. 

The crowd of zombies was going wild, hisses and twisted cheers echoing throughout the parking lot. Bane pounded his chest and the horde’s frenzied cries doubled in response. Slade ignored the madness in favor of attacking Bane while the zombie was distracted. He ran directly at Bane, bringing his sword back to strike as he did. Bane howled as Slade sunk his sword into his stomach and dragged it to the left, sanguine blood cascading from the cut. Slade’s sword and forearms were immediately drenched in the thick red liquid, and when he pulled his dripping sword out, Slade laughed.

Bane fell back, his hands clasped over the gash, still roaring. The sky above was churning like the pits of hell, and the horde was screaming like the damned. Bane shook his head and once more rushed at Slade. Slade’s eye widened as Bane slammed into him before he had a chance to move.

_ “No!” _ Selina cried as Slade hit the ground hard. “Slade, get up, quick!”

But it was too late. Slade, too dazed to move, and with his sword lying several feet away, had already been picked up by Bane, who roared in triumph.

_ “Break you,” _ Bane rumbled as he lifted Slade above his head.

Robin knew what was about to happen. Bane would bring Slade down on his knee and shatter his spine, and the fight would be over. Then the horde would descend upon the Titans, Selina, and Angela, and they would be devoured--or turned. But then Robin saw the glittering sheen of something metallic in Slade’s right hand, and hope surged within him.

As Bane brought Slade down towards his knee, Slade slashed his knife into the tube buried within Bane’s left hand and severed it from his skin. Bane screamed like a hyena, but the damage was done: a horrific  _ crack  _ rang through the lot and Slade fell to the ground, limp.

The horde cheered as Bane pumped his fist in the air. 

Then Slade spoke. “Oh, Bane. Did you truly think that old trick would work on me?” He laughed and sat up, his back snapping back into place as he did so. Bane stumbled back and the horde went silent. “But then,” Slade continued as he pushed himself to his feet, “You  _ are _ dead. Old tricks are all you know.” He picked up his sword. “So, shall we continue?”

Robin couldn’t believe his eyes.  _ How did Slade recover from that? It’s fucking impossible! _ Nevertheless, he obviously had, and the fight had resumed. 

It seemed that, at this point, Bane had only one strategy to defeat Slade: keep charging at him until he made contact. But as Slade dodged another attack, Bane’s plan didn’t appear to be panning out.

It was then that Angela screamed, a piercing shriek that made even Slade turn and look. Angela was struggling in the grasp of a new zombie, one that was significantly less decayed than the others. It had wound its hand in Angela’s long hair and was now trying to pull her head towards itself.

“Angela!” Cyborg yelled, desperately fighting to break free of the zombies that held him down. Then he realized two things simultaneously: the zombie that faced Angela had a broken leg, and Angela was screaming one word over and over:

_ “Dad! DAD!” _ Angela screeched, tears streaming down her face.  _ “Dad, stop, it’s me, it’s Angela! Dad!” _

“Angela--” Slade said, right before Bane sucker punched him in the ribs. Slade gagged and fell to his knees, his sword clattering to the ground. 

As Bane circled behind Slade, the zombie stepped away from Angela and rejoined the horde.  _ It was a distraction, _ Starfire suddenly understood.  _ The Zakur’ugra are either not as foolish as we believed, or...they are following orders. _

Bane, meanwhile, had grabbed Slade by the ankle and lifted him once more into the air. Seeing Slade held upside down would almost have been funny, if the situation wasn’t so dire. However, Bane was the only one laughing now. 

Then, without any warning, Bane whipped Slade down and slammed him into the pavement. Chips of asphalt and drops of blood flew into the air and the horde cheered.

_ “Slade!” _ Selina screamed, stretching a hand towards him, impossible though it may have been for her to reach.

Slade struggled feebly as Bane pulled him free of the parking lot’s surface. Before he could do anything, Bane had sent Slade crashing down again. This time, when Bane picked him up, Slade was motionless. Bane tossed Slade to the side like a broken toy and roared in victory; the horde responded in kind.

Selina stared at Slade’s unmoving body and felt tears brimming at the corners of her eyes. She saw red. “ _ Bane,” _ she bellowed, fury rising in her heart and making her veins hum.

Raven tore her eyes away from the fallen villain and looked at Selina. She gasped as a wall of pure rage hit her and threatened to awaken her sleeping demon. Raven could almost see a corona of crimson emanating from Selina as she screamed.

_ “Bane! You fucking bastard! I’ll fucking tear you to shreds!” _ Selina labored in the zombies’ grasp and finally felt something give. As she stumbled into the center of the ring, she saw that she had torn one of the zombie’s arms out of its socket and onto the ground. 

Selina looked up at Bane with wrath smoldering within her, burning her from the inside out. She said only three words:

“Round Two, motherfucker.”

The Titans watched, stunned, as Bane swung at Selina, who simply ducked below his fist. Selina dragged her claws across Bane’s arm as she dashed forward, sliding between his legs. Before Bane could turn around, Selina had picked up Slade’s sword and thrust it through Bane’s calf. As Bane fell to one knee, Selina jumped onto his back and sunk her claws into his shoulders and neck.

“Hurts, doesn’t it,” Selina growled as Bane screamed and tried to shake her off. Blood from Bane’s earlier wounds rained down on the pavement beneath him as he twisted and turned. Selina laughed wildly. “Bleed, bitch!” She withdrew one of her hands from Bane’s neck and, with one swift slash, cut free the tube that had carried Venom to Bane’s mask. Green-tinged pus fell from the tube as Selina reached around and grabbed the aspirator built into Bane’s mask. With that, she flipped forward off Bane’s back, still holding onto the mask, and tore it off Bane’s head. Most of his face came with it.

When Bane fell to the ground, cradling his exposed face in his hands, Selina dropped the flesh-filled mask and yanked the sword from Bane’s leg, tossing it on the ground near Slade. Then she drew her gun and aimed it at Bane’s forehead.

“Any--last--words?” Selina panted. “No? Well, then...” She pulled the trigger and leapt back as a wave of flames rose from Bane’s body. 

Starfire felt the zombies loosen their hold on her at the sight of the fire. When the fire’s heat washed over her, the zombies released her completely and shuffled back, away from the blaze--and the rest of the Titans.

Beast Boy felt like he could breathe again. He got to his feet, looking at the rapidly retreating zombies, and then at his friends, all of whom seemed to be unharmed. Cyborg had picked up the silver case and was hugging a shaking Angela, while Raven was helping Robin to his feet. It was Selina that Beast Boy was worried about. She was kneeling by Slade, her head resting on his chest.

As Angela and the Titans gathered around the villains, they all saw the pool of blood that had spread out from the back of Slade’s head. Starfire was the first to speak.

“I...I am so sorry, Selina.” She placed a hand on Selina’s shoulder.

Selina lifted her head and looked at Starfire. She grinned, displaying sharp incisors. “He’s not dead yet, kid.”

_ “What?” _ Robin exclaimed. “But--” 

  
Selina cut him off. “Raven, help me get Slade to the plane. Everyone else, grab your bags. We’re getting out of here before anything else happens.”


	14. Chapter 14

There was blood everywhere--or so it seemed to Raven, once she had set Slade down on the Batplane’s floor. _I had no idea head wounds bled so much,_ she thought weakly. Raven was vaguely aware that her teammates had entered the plane after her, but the world appeared to be fading in and out and _oh I need to sit down._ Raven collapsed into the chair nearest Slade and closed her eyes.

Selina had torn off her bloody gloves and was flipping switches with shaking fingers. As the plane sputtered to life, Selina engaged the autopilot and hit the coordinates for the Batcave. _Take us home, for the love of god._

The Titans, meanwhile, had gathered around the prone figure of their greatest enemy, and Robin felt numb. Again and again he heard the the sound of Slade’s back breaking, again and again he saw Bane slam Slade into the pavement hard enough to...to…

“How is he _alive?_ ” whispered Robin. He jumped when Selina laughed harshly from behind him.

“Come on, Bird Boy, I thought you were sidekick to “The World’s _Greatest_ Detective.” Haven’t you figured it out?” Selina shouldered past Robin and knelt down beside Slade.

“I’m _not_ a sidekick,” said Robin. “And what are you _doing?”_

“Trying to get Slade’s stupid mask off, that’s what.” Selina sighed and shook her head. “He makes it look so easy--just kinda pulls it off and that’s that. But I can’t--fucking--do it.”

It was odd, Robin thought, to see someone’s hands on Slade’s mask. But as Selina brushed her fingers across Slade’s forehead, something clicked into place for Robin.

“Selina...do you...love him?”

Selina didn’t look up from her task. “Sure,” she said. “But not...not like _that.”_

“Uh,” said Robin. “Wh--”

Selina cut him off by finally managing to remove the front panel of Slade’s mask. The man looked very pale beneath it, and his silver hair was slick with blood. He looked much more human than he had a moment ago.

“What do you mean?” Robin said, trying not to stare at Selina as she adjusted Slade’s eyepatch.

Selina was silent for a moment before saying, “Look, Robin. I figure that what I feel for Slade is what I’d feel for...for family. It’s funny to say that now--when we first met at Wanye Manor three years ago, I told him that if he tried to make a move on me, he’d lose his other eye.” Selina laughed quietly. “But he said he wasn’t interested. That surprised me--seemed like everyone and their father wanted to fuck both Selina Kyle and Catwoman.”

“Selina--” said Robin, but she ignored him.

“And when he first took his mask off, that surprised me too. I thought he was just some white guy under there. Turned out he could relate to some of the shit I went through.” Selina laughed again, but she sounded angry. “Nothing like institutionalized racism to bring people together, huh?”

_“Selina--”_ said Robin again, and Selina once again ignored him.

“So there we were, two villains at the end of the world. Along with Bruce and Alfred, of course. What a _happy_ little family. Three years in a confined space is a long time to get to know someone, Titans, and we’re all still learning. But--”

“Selina, _stop,”_ interrupted Robin. “Just _stop._ I don’t want to know any of this.”

“Oh?” said Selina. “And why’s that, Bird Brat?” Her voice was light enough, but Robin could sense anger simmering just below her surface.

“Because, honestly, Selina, I don’t want to sympathize with you--and I certainly don’t want to sympathize with _him,”_ Robin said, gesturing at Slade. “You are a _villain,_ Selina. And not even a zombie apocalypse can change that.”

Selina slowly turned to look at Robin. A jagged smile cut across her face as she said, “Wow, kid, that’s cold. I’m impressed. Slade was right: you really could have been a villain if the Bat hadn’t gotten to you first.” She held up Slade’s mask to Robin and tilted her head. “Think this would fit you in a few years?”

Robin viciously knocked the mask from Selina’s hands. “You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about,” he spat.

“I know plenty. You think Slade didn’t tell me about your little gig as his apprentice?”

“I was _blackmailed!_ He threatened my team, my _friends!”_

“Yeah, he told me that, too. I never said I agreed with everything he’s done.”

“But you said he was like _family_ to you! How could you say that when he’s a _monster?”_

“Well, you said it yourself.” Selina’s smile widened. “I am a villain, after all. And since you’re treating me like one, I might as well act the part.”

Robin shook his head. “Batman always thought you could turn your life around, ditch the claws and catsuit. But I didn’t agree with him--villains are villains. I guess that holds true across universes.”

“I guess it does.” Selina turned back to Slade. “Because I’m no hero.”

When Slade’s eye flickered open, Selina inhaled sharply. “Slade?”

“Joey…?” murmured the injured villain, his grey eye unfocused.

“No, not Joey. It’s me, it’s Selina.”

“Tell Joey...Will is going to pick him up...please…tell…” Blood streamed from Slade’s mouth as he spoke, and Selina took his hand in her own.

“I’ll tell him, don’t worry. Don’t worry.”

Slade’s hand slipped from Selina’s as he fell back into unconsciousness; Selina brushed a strand of bloody hair off of his face and sighed.

“Who’s Joey?” Robin asked after a moment.

_“Jesus,_ why do you _care,_ Bird Boy? Not I know, anyway,” Selina said.

“Don’t lie to me,” Robin said furiously. “How could you not know who this “Joey” is when you’ve had _three years_ to learn about Slade?”

Selina only shrugged.

“ _Answer_ me _,_ Selina,” Robin demanded. “This isn’t _20 Questions,_ so tell me--”

“Don’t try to boss me around, kid,” Selina hissed. “God, you sound exactly like Batman.” She pushed herself to her feet. “We’re back at the Cave. Get out of the plane.”

 

***

 

Slade’s quarters were sparsely decorated, and as Raven set Slade down on his bed, she couldn’t help but think they seemed almost unlived in. _How could someone spend three years in a room like this?_

“How is he?” Selina asked Cyborg.

“My sensors show broken and fractured ribs, along with a massive concussion and a fractured skull,” said Cyborg. “Internal bleeding for sure, but...I don’t understand how his back isn’t…”

“Completely fucked?” Selina finished.

“I’d like to know how that’s possible, too,” said Robin from the doorway.

Selina’s eye roll was almost audible. “It’s pretty simple, Bird Boy: Slade is a metahuman.”

“Sorry, he’s a _what?”_ said Robin.

“A _metahuman.”_ Selina repeated. “Come on, you really didn’t figure that out?”

“I--he--are you sure?” Robin’s mind was reeling.

“Of course I’m _sure,”_ Selina scoffed. “You and your questions, I swear.”

“No, no way. He _can’t_ be…” Robin trailed off.

“He is,” Selina said. “Advanced reflexes, enhanced speed and strength, and rapid healing. Metahuman.”

“Rapid...healing?” said Robin.

_“Extremely_ rapid, if the situation calls for it. And today, it did,” Selina said. “Go ahead and scan him again, Cyborg. See what happens.”

“Um, okay,” said Cyborg. A moment later, Cyborg was frowning at his sensors in confusion. “That rib was broken a couple minutes ago. Now it’s just fractured.”

“Good,” said Selina. “He’s already recovering.”

“But his _head,_ ” said Raven. She couldn’t get the sight of Slade resting in a pool of his own blood out of her mind.

Selina shifted uneasily. “Yeah, that’s, uh, pretty concerning. I don’t know if he’s ever had to heal from something like this before.”

“Ms. Kyle,” said Alfred, appearing in the doorway behind Robin. “What has happened?” He sounded slightly panicked.

“We had a run-in with a horde of zombies led by a very dead Bane, and Slade…” Selina gestured towards the motionless villain.

Alfred slipped past Robin and approached Slade’s bedside; when he saw the crimson stain that had spread across the pillowcase, he pressed a hand to his mouth.

“I know it looks bad,” said Selina. “But I’m sure he’s had worse. He’ll be fine...right?”

_Was that a hint of desperation I heard in her voice?_ Robin thought. _She really does care about him._

“Ms. Kyle, this amount of blood...I fear this is not normal, even for such a wound,” said Alfred.

“Well, maybe it’s because Slade doesn’t heal like the rest of us. This could be normal for _him,”_ Selina said, sounding like she only half-believed her own words.

“...I suppose that it is possible,” said Alfred. “Nonetheless, I believe I shall tend to Mr. Wilson’s head wound in order to staunch the bleeding.”

“Well, we’ll just get out of your way, then,” said Selina. “C’mon, you three. Take good care of him, Alfred. Please.”

“I will do my best, Ms. Kyle.”

 

***

 

“Friend Angela, are you the okay?” Starfire asked, green eyes full of concern.

Angela was sitting in an armchair with her knees up to her chin; she stared into the darkness of the Batcave as though the answer was hidden somewhere within. She did not speak.

“Angela, say something, please,” said Beast Boy. “How can we help you?”

“T-they turned him,” Angela finally whispered. “They fucking turned my dad into one of them.”

Starfire and Beast Boy looked at each other, then back at the trembling woman.

“They couldn’t have j-just fucking killed him, could they?” Angela bared her teeth as tears fell down her face.

“I am so very sorry, friend Angela,” said Starfire as her own eyes watered. “What the abominations have done is truly wretched.”

“Wretched,” echoed Angela hoarsely. “Wretched. That’s a pretty n-nice word. Earn you some good points in Scrabble.” 

Starfire frowned. “I...I am sorry, I do not quite understand…?” 

“You ever played? Dad and I used to play a whole lot before I moved into the dorms.” Angela’s voice had taken on a strange pitch, and the more she spoke, the higher it became. “Wretched. _W_ is worth four, _C_ is worth two...put it on a double or triple…”

“Angela, you’re starting to scare me,” Beast Boy said. “What--”

Angela slowly turned to face him, and Beast Boy’s mouth went dry. The woman’s eyes were massive, like swirling pits of tar sunk deep into her skull.

“I--I want to kill them. Kill the fucking zombies. Ah, th-that’s not the right verb. B-but you know what I mean, don’t you, Beast Boy? Starfire?” 

Before either of them could respond, Starfire felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Selina standing behind her with Cyborg, Raven, and an irate Robin in tow. 

“What’s up, kids? Angela, you, uh, doing okay?” Selina asked, offering the younger woman a nervous smile. 

Angela ducked her head, hair obscuring her eyes. “I’ve been better, I guess. H-how’re you? How’s--?” 

“Slade’s not…” Selina paused and pressed her lips together. “He’s probably not great at the moment,” she continued carefully. “Alfred is trying to patch him up, which is good, yeah?”

“Is he going to die?” Angela asked softly.

Selina sighed and wrapped her arms around herself. “I don’t know. Yes. No. Maybe. I just don’t... _God,_ how did this _happen?_ How did _any_ of this _happen?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BET Y'ALL THOUGHT I ABANDONED THIS, HUH?? BUT IT AIN'T OVER 'TIL IT'S OVER, BABE.
> 
> This chapter might not be the best, but it's posted, and sometimes that's what counts.
> 
> Also, I have a proper @lizard-hair tumblr now! Come pester me about fics lol


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